Papers
Evaluating The Accessibility Of Amenities Toward Walkable Neighourhoods: An Integrated Method For Testing Alternatives In A Generative Urban Design Process
Sifan Cheng School of Architecture, the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Carson Ka Shut Leung School of Architecture, the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Jeroen Van Ameijde School of Architecture, the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Studies have shown that walkable communities reduce traffic-related pollution and the risk of chronic illnesses, promote economic growth and prosperity, and stimulate community participation and the growth of social capital. To assess the walkability of urban areas, various methodologies have been developed around shortest-distance calculations between various points of interest (POIs), yet their outcomes do not guide potential urban design improvements. The absence of appropriate measurements and procedures that may give quantitative and actionable feedback to support design decision-making is one of the primary issues in building walkable neighborhoods. The work presented in this paper revolves around a new workflow, that employed Urbano, a mobility simulation and assessment tool, and integrated it within a generative design process to allowing for the quantitative evaluation on amenity accessibility for several alternative design scenarios for a case study site in Mong Kok, Hong Kong. The results show how this data-driven urban design process benefits from generative techniques to produce solutions with improved contextual connectivity, energy-efficient urban form, and good quality public spaces that contribute to the walkability of neighbourhoods.
Keywords: Generative Urban Design; Walkability; Urbano; Sdg 3; Sdg 11.