Walkability Toolkit

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Sidewalks for all seasons

Wind, rain and snow make walking conditions unpleasant and uninviting. Poor snow clearance, pooling water, mud, and ice are significant impediments to walking.

Snow removal

Snow and ice clearance can present a serious impediment for walkers. Seniors and people with mobility impairments are at even greater risk of slipping and injuring themselves.

The best offence is a good de-fence

Walking routes are often unnecessarily blocked with fences, barriers, bollards and gates. Removing obstacles on paths would make popular shortcuts easier and safer to use.

Missing sidewalks

In areas originally design for cars, sidewalks are often missing. Sidewaks are needed to make it easier to get around on foot.

Space on sidewalks

Walkers need enough room to walk safely without being forced into the street by the volume of walkers.

When there's a will, there's a walk

Fences interrupt the flow and 'connectivity' of direct walking routes. People often cut holes in fences or go over them, creating unsafe passageways and snags. Shortcuts should be made safer with pathways and good lighting.

Curbs and barriers

Steps, concrete blocks, and curbs limit access to people in wheelchairs, with strollers, and the elderly. Curb cuts and ramps make places more accessible.

Clear pathways make walking pleasurable

Light and sign posts, electrical boxes, and other objects should not block sidewalks and walkways. Walkers should have a clear path free of obstructions.

Walking ON the beaten path

Shortcuts help people walk directly to their destinations. By formalizing these routes, and adding lighting, sidewalks, and signage, these paths would be more safe and comfortable.

Broken and uneven pavement

It is discouraging to walk through a neighbourhood with uneven, broken pavement and potholes.

Crossing signals should be located where we cross

Crosswalks are needed where people already cross. Mid-block crossings without signals are common around schools, community centres, and malls.

Everyone should have a place

Complete street design takes all users into account. Walkers must be safely separated from auto traffic. Trees, planters, or bike lanes provide ideal buffers.

Crossing times

Crosswalk signals must last long enough to help people across all lanes of traffic.

Crosswalks should be clearly marked

Crosswalks need to be marked with bright road paint. When the paint wears off, it is unclear where walkers should go and where vehicles should be.

Crosswalks should be reasonably spaced

Safe street crossings should be provided at regular, short distances.

Rounded corners increase vehicle speed

Rounded corners at intersections encourage cars to go faster. Sharp corners reduce auto speed, which makes intersections safer for walkers.

Parking lots should have walking routes

Many pedestrian collisions occur in parking lots around malls and neighbourhood amenities. These accidents could be prevented with clearly marked and protected pedestrian paths.

Road design, for cars or people?

Wide roads with fast moving traffic make it very difficult and unsafe to get around on foot. Road design should tell drivers pedestrians are here.

Traffic calming

Traffic calming measures slow traffic and make crossing safer. These may include speed humps, on-street parking and extending curbs to shorten crossings.

Accessibility

Walkways and building entrances should be accessible and usable to everyone, allowing all sidewalk users open and safe clearance.

Dark places are uncomfortable

Good lighting is key to making pedestrians feel safe.

Blind and confined spaces are unpleasant

Narrow, confined spaces and blocked views are uncomfortable for walking. They can make people feel claustrophobic and trapped, especially with high fencing.

Sit-ability

Benches and tables encourage walking by providing resting places. Street furniture also increases social interaction and makes places safer by providing 'eyes on the street'.

Mixed-use and active streets

Popular walking streets are often animated with a mix of uses – like shops, housing, schools and services – good places to sit, and bustling street activity. Well-used public spaces are safe because all people provide 'eyes on the street'.

Parks and public spaces

Neighbourhood parks and public spaces are important places for socializing and exercising. People tend to prefer spaces that are busy, have playgrounds and activities in them.

Walkways are needed where people walk

Sidewalks are needed where people walk, and bike lanes are needed where cyclists ride.

Buffers between sidewalks and arterial roads

Walking along busy streets like these can be uncomfortable and unsafe. Buffers, like trees, green space or bike lanes make sidewalks safer.

Endless sidewalks

It's daunting and unpleasant to walk on sidewalks that are isolated and disconnected from stores, streets and houses. 'Eyes on the street' can make a neighbourhood safe and sidewalks like these don't invite pedestrian traffic.

Transit stops

Good transit service is critical to good walking environments. Bus stop should be well lit and provide sheltered places for people to wait with benches and garbage cans.

Blocked sidewalks

Light and sign posts, electrical boxes, and other objects should not block sidewalks and walkways. Walkers should have a clear path free of obstructions.

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Walking is good for everyone. The air is cleaner, people are healthier, neighbours get to know each other and the streets are safer because there’s more people on them. Busy sidewalks and public spaces populated with people are positive indicators of vibrant, thriving neighbourhoods.

You may live in a neighbourhood that has a very positive and supportive walking environment right now. Or you might reside in a place where getting around on foot, either recreationally or for daily errands, is unpleasant or unsafe. Either way, we offer you this very basic, user-friendly Walkabilty Tool Kit that aims to help you understand your walking environment better and offers advice for making improvements.

Making places better for walking often comes down to street design. While some of those obstacles to walking can only be addressed by larger changes in infrastructure and engineering, certain smaller fixes can make big differences in people’s daily lives - like adding lighting, sidewalks, crosswalks, garbage cans, benches and bus shelters. Removing fences and formalizing short cut routes can also improve the walking environment considerably.

Local residents are the best people to consult about what is needed to improve walking conditions. With this in mind, please use our Walkability Tool Kit to determine conditions in your neighbourhood.

The Walkability Slide Show explains what is meant by walkability, the conditions, obstacles, strengths and weaknesses in our walking environments.

The Walkability Checklist is much the same material, in a document that can be printed off and consulted while walking around your own neighbourhood. This is a audit tool that you are encouraged to use while walking around in your neighoburhood, either alone or in groups.

The Group Discussion Topics are intended as a guideline for getting people to talk about their walking environment. These sorts of conversations go a long way towards deepening people’s understanding of how the walking environment affects people’s daily behaviour and highlights the need for changes.

The Making Improvements section lists a number of strategies and approaches to making changes to walking environments.

The Walkability Tool Kit is created by:
Paul Hess, Study Lead, Associate Professor, Dept of Geography and Program in Planning, University of Toronto and Jane Farrow, Executive Director, Jane’s Walk

The Walkability Checklist and slide show are edited and designed by Mia Hunt

Photography by Katherine Childs, Paul Hess and Jane Farrow