Feasibility of developing a pedestrian network in the central tissue of Shahrekord

Nowadays, it is one of the most important urban development strategies to increase the quality of the environment with the pedestrian approach. Pedestrian networks play an important role in urban regeneration by increasing social and cultural interaction. Sidewalks, which connect people to the environment, can pave the way for public participation and facilitate the achievement of urban regeneration goals. Clearly, it is possible to enhance pedestrian axes and other urban spaces given users’ matching criteria and various needs. In this paper, the central texture of Shahrekord, which contains features such as proper access to natural resources, prominent historic monuments, specific behavior settings, and appropriate cultural communications, was selected as a case study. The aim of the paper was to identify areas that are prone to development of pedestrian networks with an emphasis on effective measures taken in the field. In this applied descriptive-analytical method, the data were collected and ranked using a questionnaire. In fact, what distinguishes this research from others is that planning was based here on criteria found by local experts as more important in the development of the sidewalk network. Given that it is effective in the physical, social, economic, and environmental fields to promote pedestrian indicators, the results of the present study could enhance certain sustainable urban development infrastructures, such as social security, the environment, and the urban economy. Studies have demonstrated that the traffic network in the central part of Shahrekord is composed of routes with relatively diverse structures, each with its own strengths and weaknesses for turning into a sidewalk. For evaluation and prioritization of the potential areas, therefore, it was necessary first to identify the appropriate criteria for such areas and then to estimate the level of availability of each criterion for different routes based on distressed-area studies, field observations, and interviews. First, the theoretical foundations were reviewed, the effective criteria for increasing ‎pedestrianization were identified,‏ ‏and a ‎questionnaire was developed according to the proposed components. Then, we measured the significance of the criteria using the Delphi method and the Likert scale. The average weight of each criterion after numerical normalization was between zero and one, which provided an effective measure in location of the pedestrian network. The results of the research indicated that safety, comfort, and attraction exhibited the greatest impacts among the fifteen selected criteria on the increase in pedestrianization in the area under study. For specification of the capability of each route, Expert Choice was used, where the score ​​for each route was calculated through application of the coefficient of significance of each criterion. A comparison of the final scores indicated that the historical axes of Aghabozorg, Valiye Asr Street, and Mellat Street were the best options to turn into pedestrian axes. Finally, suggestions were made for enhancement of the pedestrian network in the area. These included reduction of traffic to increase pedestrian safety, change of land use on the main route to increase owners’ willingness to invest and participation, provision of new opportunities to increase citizens’ attendance through enhancement of supportive spaces over the pedestrian network, establishment of new construction laws to protect historic monuments and valuable public spaces.