AN ASSESSMENT OF WALKABILITY IN SABON GARI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KADUNA STATE

Abstract

This study is an attempt to investigate the walkability or otherwise of Sabon Gari L.G.A. Kaduna state. For this study, 18 street locations in the study area with high pedestrian traffic were identified, selected and coded for assessment. Data needed for this study such as street space measurements, photographs, unobtrusive observations (at different periods of the day) and windshield audits was collected through observation directly from the mobility environment of the study area. An assessment (based on four main components namely: Safety, Attractiveness and Pleasurability, Visibility and Legibility, Comfort and lastly, Functionality) at these
locations was made using a five-point system Walkability audit tool adapted from Galston (2017). A rating of zero (0) was assigned elements which were never observed at any point in the mobility environment, a rating of one (1) for elements rarely observed, two (2) for elements sometimes observed, three (3) for most of the timeand four (4) for elements always observed in the mobility  environment. Findings showed that the study area is not walkable with a score of 22 out of the maximum score of 100 marks. This implies that walking is unpleasant for pedestrians as no deliberate provisions have been made for pedestrian traffic.....