Measuring Pedestrian Level of Stress in Urban Environments: Naturalistic Walking Pilot Study

Walking is the most basic and sustainable mode of transportation, many jurisdictions would like to see increased walking rates as a way reducing congestion emission levels improving public health. In United States, trips account for 10.5% all undertaken. To increase this rate, additional research on what makes people feel more comfortable while needed. Research pedestrian quality service (QOS) has sought quantify performance facilities from pedestrian’s perspective. However, impact safety countermeasures QOS roadway crossings largely unknown. The objective study discern based physiological measurements pedestrians performing normal activities in different traffic contexts. naturalistic described paper recruited 15 asked each wear an instrumented wristband GPS recorder one week. Surprisingly, findings showed no correlation between participants’ stress individual crossing locations. Instead, was associated with conditions. Higher were generally proximity collector arterial streets areas industrial mixed (e.g., offices, retail, residential) land uses. Stress tempered lower-density residential uses, well forest, park, university campus environments. outcomes can inform how planners design urban environments that reduce promote walkability.