Re-Working Appleyard in a Low Density Environment: An Exploration of the Impacts of Motorised Traffic Volume on Street Livability in Christchurch, New Zealand

Street space was once an essential element of urban environments and provided a place for community interaction and engagement. This role however is increasingly being subverted by vehicular dominance. As a result, street space no longer acts as a driver for social interaction in many places, which has significant impacts on the liveability of streets and the wellbeing of their residents. This study sought to assess the extent to which motorized traffic volumes impact street liveability and community severance in Christchurch, a relatively low density city in New Zealand. Based on Appleyard’s work of the late 1970s, data was collected from six streets, in two areas, categorized into three motorized traffic volume classifications. Results showed that residents on light trafficked streets have more neighborhood connections and community interactions and perceive their street to be more liveable. Furthermore, residents on heavy trafficked streets had a negative perception of their street environment, smaller local home areas and a decreased sense of belonging to their community. This affirms relationships found in previous research and raises questions about what and whom the residential street spaces of Christchurch are, and should be, designed for.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.worldtransportjournal.org/journal
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13527614
• Authors:
  • Wiki, J
  • Kingham, S
  • Banwell, K
• Publication Date: 2018-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 60-68
• Serial:
  • World Transport Policy & Practice
  • Volume: 24
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Eco-Logica Limited
  • ISSN: 1352-7614
  • Serial URL: https://www.worldtransportjournal.org/journal
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Livability; Neighborhoods; Population density; Streetscape; Traffic volume; Urban areas
• Geographic Terms: Christchurch (New Zealand)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01682731
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 5 2018 9:19AM