Date of Award

1-1-2015

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Organizational Unit

College of Natual Science and Mathematics

First Advisor

Andrew Goetz, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Jing Li

Third Advisor

Eric Boschmann

Keywords

Behavior, GIS, Mobility, Perception, Space, Walkability

Abstract

This research is rooted in the bigger issues of climate change, urban sustainability, and the drive to make Denver more pedestrian centered despite sprawled conditions. More specifically, this research is driven by (1) the need for a holistic, multi-dimensional, and mixed geographic perspective of pedestrian mobility, (2) the lack of qualitative data regarding pedestrian mobility and (3) a need for a better understanding of the feedback between physical and perceived space and how this influences walking behavior. Given these motivations, I deploy a multidimensional framework for assessing pedestrian mobility in Denver’s Transit Oriented Development (TOD) sites, whereby there are two primary dimensions to pedestrian mobility—the spatial and the behavioral. In order to model and explore these dimensions, this research takes a mixed methods GIS approach to capture physical and perceived space, as well as actual walking behavior. To do so, 3D walk scores and walksheds were computed for TOD study sites, using conventional GIS methods, and were compared to more qualitative GIS sketch map and survey data collected on perceived space and walking behavior. The results of the mixed methods research confirm that the relationship between space and behavior is complex, whereby physical space influences perception and perception greatly influences walking behavior. Therefore, given these findings, planners need to focus efforts toward positively influencing perceptions of pedestrian space in order to effectively encourage pedestrian mobility in Denver’s auto-dominated landscape.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Meghan Elizabeth Mooney

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

en

File Size

179 p.

Discipline

Sustainability, Geography, Transportation planning

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