The concept of walkability refers to how the design of an area allows residents to walk from one place to another. Walkability is known for its sustainable nature where the concept enables walking activities as a mode of transportation from one point to another, thereby reducing congestion, increasing the level of proximity between residents and workplaces and other life-supporting facilities, reducing dependence on private vehicles, and improving the health of people.
The improvement of a city’s walkability is closely related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11, namely Making Cities and Settlements Inclusive, Safe, Resilient and Sustainable, where inclusive and safe cities encourage residents to be confident and not afraid to carry out activities (including walking) in urban areas.
In Indonesia, walkability development has received considerable attention from the government. In the development of the Indonesian Capital City (IKN) in Kalimantan, for example, one of the focuses at the capital city development stage was the construction of walking access to offices and public transportation stations and shelters. Another example is MRT Jakarta which has been in operation since 2019 and is currently entering its second phase of completion.
[A sidewalk in South Jakarta, complete with a MRT station. Photo by Muhammad Azka Prasetya.]
Indonesia could learn from Brisbane, Australia, on the development of walkability. Brisbane shares the same characteristics as big cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta and Bandung as the city does experience a heavy private-owned vehicle dependency. This is shown by the city’s average car travel of 6,467 km per year. At the same time, the city faces the possibility of a peak density of up to 314 people/km2 in 2056. (Kirkpatrick et.al dalam Yazid et.al., 2023).
To anticipate this problem, the government of Brisbane pursued the urban development approach that minimizes the negative outcome of the dense city’s population. The thing is to push the people to minimize the use of private-owned vehicles, therefore reducing congestion that may result from overpopulation by easing access to public transportation infrastructures. As such, Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is chosen. The city’s development program is designed with people’s access to public transportation in mind. The development is considered helpful to help residents reach the city center, to reduce the number of private vehicle users, and to reduce air pollution.
[A pedestrian facility in Brisbane, Australia. Picture courtesy of Pixabay/MemoryCatcher.]
Accompanying the city’s TOD approach was the transformation of areas with high levels of population activity into an integrated area. Examples of high-populated areas are Kelvin Grove, Bowen Hills, and South Brisbane. These areas were developed as an integrated area with the equal distribution of residential and office buildings. To improve the health of the Brisbane community by walking, the Australian Government also launched a strategic program called Supportive Environments for Active Living (SEAL) in 2001 to increase physical activities, therefore maintaining the community’s health.
The implementation of walkability and TOD carried out by Brisbane city officials is considered successful enough in reducing dependence on private vehicles. This is shown by the percentage of the population who do not own a private car/motorbike, which increased from 8% in 2005 to 15% in 2008. Furthermore, a study conducted by Hellberg et al. (2021) showed that the Brisbane residents (represented by the respondents of workers and students) opted to walk (22%) and continue their commute by train (78%), reinforcing the effectiveness of the city’s walkability development program.
What Can Be Learned?
From the case study in Brisbane, it appears that the Brisbane city government successfully combined the TOD approach and integrated area development in its walkability program, enabling walking as a mode of transportation. The walkability development in Brisbane has managed to address urban problems including high dependency on motor vehicles, congestion, and air pollution.
When it comes to walkability, developing areas that allow walking as a mode of transportation is not enough and should be accompanied by the development of public transportation facilities and infrastructure. This includes the improvement of stations/shelters and the transportation modes such as trains and buses.
Another thing to consider is the proximity between people and destination: how long it takes for a commuter to reach the workplace or other public facilities. This is at least true in an article written by Hellberg et al. (2021), which shows that the proximity between people and their destination became the most important factor that determines people’s behavior and willingness to walk. With that being said, the walkability development should also consider the balanced distribution of public facilities, offices, stations, and bus shelters, especially in areas with high residential and working activities.
Of course, the conditions of walking infrastructures such as sidewalks play an important role in the success or failure of a walkability implementation. Regarding this statement, for a specific case in Indonesia, we can take a specific example of Bogor, West Java. A survey conducted by Yazid et al.(2023) showed some roads in the city of Bogor still have poor pedestrian facilities, especially those for special needs, elders, children, and expecting women. Indeed, there are still many Indonesian residents who are reluctant to walk because of the poor condition of the sidewalks and the use of sidewalks for inappropriate purposes.
[A sidewalk in an outer region. Poor walking facilities pose a challenge for Indonesia to realize a walkable city. Photo by Muhammad Azka Prasetya.]
Based on the problem above, improving sidewalks and increasing the number of pedestrian facilities may enable all members of the population to conduct walking as a sustainable mode of transportation. Facilities for special needs people should be pursued, an example is a lift for the disabled to access a subway station or a tactile paving designated for visually impaired pedestrians. Despite the expensive costs, the maintenance and improvement of walking facilities may have a positive impact on the sustainability of pedestrian facilities and encourage people to walk more.
Last but not least, the construction and maintenance of pedestrian facilities must be supplemented by policies prioritizing pedestrians and strict sanctions imposed for those who use pedestrian facilities for inappropriate purposes.
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