Unlocking urban charm for liveable street: transformative design strategies to boost pedestrian appeal in Asian cities

Walking as a mode of transportation faces challenges in Asian cities due to the proliferation of private motorized vehicles and lacking public transportation management. Despite contributing to people’s physical and mental well-being, walking is often considered the last option for transportation. Previous research has highlighted the link between walking, urban design qualities, individual reactions, and a sense of place. Other studies have suggested that a sense of place fosters a sense of belonging and attachment to the location. This paper aims to propose transformative design strategies to enhance pedestrians’ willingness to walk through the design of street junctions. Street junctions, especially those featuring corner buildings, offer opportunities for walking, observing, and resting, all of which are crucial elements for vibrant public spaces. The findings reveal that street junctions in cities like Surabaya (Indonesia) are predominantly perceived as “spaces to move” rather than “places to be.” To advance walkability in street junctions, transformative design strategies need to be addressed. Encouraging pedestrians’ willingness to walk can focus on their experiences and perceptual qualities. Developing policies aimed at enhancing street junctions in Asian cities emerges as a pivotal strategy for strengthening a culture of walking.


Introduction
Urban designers and architects' endeavour to encourage people to engage in physical activities, such as walking.Walking is an act that allows individuals to experience both the built and natural environment, enabling them to explore the tactile qualities of a place [1] and participate in community activities [2,3] such as engaging in conversations or enjoying local events.It serves as a fundamental mode of transportation that engages the senses, integrating feelings and thoughts [4].Previous studies have shown that walking fosters a sense of place [5,1,6,7], as individuals observe detailed objects like doors, windows, fences, and ornaments while noticing the visual and spatial characteristics [8].Walking experiences are influenced by various factors, including the physical condition of the space, sunlight, weather, mood, and past experiences [9,10].Walking becomes more enriching when there are sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes to engage with, as they are connected to people's emotions [10].It is evident that walking contributes to physical health; for instance, previous studies have highlighted the benefits of walking for older individuals, such as improving cognitive health and happiness levels, as well as reducing stress, depression, and dementia [11].
Asian cities have traditionally been cities of walkers, with many residents relying on walking and cycling for their daily travel [12].However, walking in Asian cities of low and lower-middle income countries has become challenging due to the rapidly increasing number of private motorized vehicles, inadequate public transportation management, limited connectivity among land uses, and insufficient IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1351/1/012001 2 attention to pedestrians.This situation urges urban designers and architects to conceive transformative design strategies aimed at encouraging more people to walk in downtown areas and reclaiming public space for pedestrians.Given the aforementioned issues, this paper aims to propose transformative design strategies to enhance pedestrians' willingness to walk through the design of street junctions.Street junctions are key components of the built environment where people and vehicles intersect at a single point.These junctions are significant for transportation planners as they can improve safety and reduce traffic delays.Additionally, architects view junctions as promising locations due to their visibility and potential for enhancing imageability.

Street Junctions and The Concept of Place
Scholars argue about the different definitions of "space" and "place."A "space" is abstract without inherent meaning.However, when people attribute meaning to a space, it transforms into a place [4].A "place" is a product of physical attributes, activities, and meaning, shaping people's identities [13].Therefore, a place is dynamic and ever-changing because it relates to the meanings people associate with a location.Previous studies have explored the relationship between the built environment and pedestrian behaviour, such as walkability in downtown areas using measurements of urban design qualities [14,5], and the visibility of old towns through serial vision or sequential views [15].This paper focuses on street junctions as a case study because they are integral parts of streets.Street junctions are places where people and vehicles meet and interact.In transportation-related studies, junctions are key features of the built environment, providing safety and reducing traffic delays (vehicles may decrease speed).Architects utilize junctions for key corner buildings because pedestrians can capture visual details from various directions.Given their promising locations, street junctions require transformative design strategies to encourage people's willingness to walk.
Lang has mentioned that the built environment consists of two types of behaviour settings: places and links [7].Places are spots connected by links into a system that reflects a set of purposes.A classical text by Kevin Lynch shows five elements of city image, including paths and nodes [16].In this research context, street junctions can serve as both paths or nodes (as per Lynch) and both places and links (as per Lang).Urban designers and architects strive to accommodate social interaction among people in the built environment, including at street junctions.Hence, street junctions are expected to facilitate people's activities, including providing places to see, talk, and sit.This is in line with the definition of "a place to be," where people stop for a while, offering opportunities for social interaction, whereas "a space to move" refers to places where people merely pass through, limiting interaction [17].Successful public spaces need to include street junctions as places and nodes for people while also considering traffic safety for vehicles.

Urban Design Qualities in Street Junctions
Walking and pedestrian behaviour studies have explored the role of perceptual qualities in walking behaviour [18,19,20,5].Another study discusses the aspects of qualities and attractiveness that contribute to creating comfortable and exciting places [21].Walking behaviour is influenced by physical attributes (such as building height, street width, traffic volume, number of people, trees, weather, and street furniture), urban design qualities, and individual reactions [18,19].Operational definitions of urban design qualities have been developed to test experts' perceptions.Eight operational definitions have been simplified into five, including imageability, enclosure, transparency, human scale, and complexity [19].These qualities serve as one of the most useful frameworks for describing the experience of streets [22].
Imageability is defined as a distinctive characteristic that evokes feelings and emotions.Buildings in street junctions have the opportunity to embody imageability.Enclosure refers to the imaginary delineated space created by both vertical and horizontal elements.For instance, street trees can delineate the space between pedestrians and motorists.Transparency denotes the extent of visual connectivity that individuals have, allowing them to perceive what lies further beyond the street.Human scale pertains to physical elements that correspond to human walking speed.The last operational definition is complexity, which describes the variety of physical elements that enhance visual richness.Public art and activities occurring in public spaces reflect this complexity.These five operational definitions of urban design qualities influence mental well-being, as people perceive the physical elements present on the streets.
This paper assesses transformative design strategies for street junctions by examining the five operational definitions of urban design qualities.These qualities serve as the foundation for identifying pedestrians' subjective experiences, as evaluated in previous studies [14,22,20,23,5].The author conducted a pilot survey in two different cities: Surabaya and Tokyo.The intersection of Jalan Tunjungan -Jalan Praban -Jalan Gembongan -Jalan Genteng Kali was chosen to represent the downtown area, which encompasses a mix of uses including education, governmental offices, businesses, trade, and residential areas.The author anticipates that design strategies observed in Tokyo can inspire street junction design elsewhere, including Surabaya, to create liveable streets where people can reclaim vibrant public spaces.Attractive design strategies for street junctions may spark people's curiosity to experience the streets and enhance pedestrian appeal in downtown areas.

Urban Design Qualities in Street Junctions
The characteristics of street junctions in the Surabaya downtown area case study are depicted in Figure 1.This intersection, situated in the downtown district, connects various establishments such as shops, businesses, educational institutions, governmental offices, and residential areas located behind the main street.Figure 1 illustrates the layout of the sidewalk and its streetscape elements (trees, bollards, ramps, pedestrian crossings).Notably, activities like sitting, standing, or conversing are absent in the street junctions, possibly due to the narrow width of the sidewalk (approximately 2 meters), making it challenging to accommodate such activities.This observation suggests that street junctions do not function effectively as public spaces because they lack areas where people can gather, converse, and relax [24].Regarding the five operational definitions of urban design qualities, the results demonstrate unique findings.Firstly, imageability reveals the distinct characteristics of the downtown area, with two or three-storey shophouses and decaying building facades being prominent.Streets such as Jalan Praban and Jalan Gemblongan feature thematic shophouses, with Jalan Praban known for its shoe sellers and Jalan Gemblongan recognized for its springbed and furniture vendors.These thematic products contribute to the area's uniqueness and enhance its imageability.Secondly, the sense of enclosure is primarily conveyed through the street walls and the branches of trees, though the horizontal and vertical elements do not create a fully enclosed space.Thirdly, transparency is achieved through the branches of trees against walls, while the building facades do not provide a sense of transparency due to their non-transparent materials.Fourthly, human scale is evidenced by the building heights (two to three storeys) corresponding to human walking speeds.Furthermore, visual details, trees, and street furniture are designed with human scale in mind.Lastly, complexity is exemplified by the visual richness of motorized vehicles along the streets, as well as the diverse range of land uses in the area.
The case study demonstrates that the street junctions of Jalan Tunjungan -Jalan Praban -Jalan Gembongan -Jalan Genteng Kali are perceived more as a "space to move" rather than "a place to be," resulting in people merely passing through the streets.The opportunity for activities such as talking, sitting, standing, or observing may be limited.This could be attributed to factors such as the narrow width of the sidewalks, which are not conducive to vibrant public spaces, the bustling atmosphere of the shophouses, and the appealing corner buildings, as depicted in Figure 2. As mentioned in a previous study on Surabaya's downtown area, the sense of enclosure to shield pedestrians from the heat and rain is crucial [5].Therefore, transforming street junctions, which primarily function as "spaces to move," into "places to be" or nodes presents a significant challenge.The shift from walking to using motorized vehicles affects the perception of intricate elements, which may go unnoticed as attention shifts [5].People are encouraged to walk due to the experiential nature of the streets.Two case studies, Shibuya crossing and Shinjuku Street junctions, both located in Tokyo, Japan, exemplify this trend.Japanese cities are renowned for their transit-oriented development, which promotes pedestrian activity.Shibuya crossing, situated northwest of Shibuya station in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, is famously known as Shibuya scramble crossing.Imageability is captured through the billboards and skyscrapers, creating both an enclosed space and visual complexity.The use of glass in the skyscrapers provides transparency, allowing people to see beyond the streets.Despite being surrounded by skyscrapers, human scale is maintained, as evidenced by the equal ratio of width and distance of open space (ratio = 1).As depicted in Figure 3, Shibuya crossing offers pedestrians a rich street experience, embodying all five operational definitions of urban design qualities simultaneously, thus reinforcing walking behaviour.In contrast, Figure 4 illustrates a massive three-dimensional cat installation in Shinjuku skyscrapers.Located at the east exit gate of Shinjuku station, the street junctions connect the railway station to the central business district.The three-dimensional cat becomes visible to pedestrians when the traffic light turns red, offering a short video entertainment until the light changes.The operational definitions of urban design qualities observed in the Shinjuku three-dimensional cat buildings mirror those of Shibuya crossing.However, the notable difference lies in the presence of the three-dimensional cat atop the buildings, enhancing imageability.Simply providing sidewalks with street furniture in downtown areas is insufficient to encourage people to walk.Transformative design strategies at street junctions need to encompass more than just physical attributes.Urban designers, architects, and decision-makers must consider aspects that enhance pedestrians' experiences.These may include utilizing three-dimensional advertisement billboards, organizing unique events at intersections, improving connectivity to other destinations through sidewalks and public transportation, and maintaining physical infrastructure that influences perceptual qualities of urban design.Case studies in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area serve as inspiration for Asian cities to become more walkable, ultimately contributing to the creation of liveable cities.

Concluding Remark
Historically, Asian cities were planned with pedestrians in mind.However, with the increasing prevalence of motorized vehicles and inadequate management of public transportation, pedestrians have become a minority.This presents a dilemma in the downtown areas of Asian countries: whether to widen streets to accommodate motorized vehicles or to prioritize pedestrian pathways.Enhancing pedestrian facilities and promoting walking intentions are crucial steps toward achieving a walkable environment, aligning with the goals outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 3, which emphasizes physical and mental well-being.Simply providing sidewalks and street furniture isn't sufficient to increase pedestrians' willingness to walk; it also requires transformative design strategies that consider pedestrians' perceptual qualities.Street junctions, serving as nodes where streets intersect, offer a promising starting point for enhancing walkability in neighbourhoods.Urban designers and architects are shifting focus towards creating "places to be" rather than "a space to move", as this fosters social connectedness between people and their surroundings.Consequently, prioritizing pedestrians' experiences becomes paramount in developing walkable neighbourhoods.People crave stimulating environments and diverse experiences, which align with the notion of perceptual qualities that shape pedestrians' experiences of place.In today's digital age, innovative design strategies such as 3D advertisement billboards can play a role in attracting people and enriching their street experiences.When combined with appealing architecture, well-maintained pedestrian infrastructure, and efficient public transportation systems, these ideas serve as transformative design strategies to enhance pedestrian appeal in downtown areas.Future research on walkability and pedestrian behaviour should delve into pedestrians' experiences and perceptual qualities to develop comprehensive and sustainable streetscapes.Listening to pedestrians and understanding their needs will be essential in shaping strategies for the future.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Street Junction in case study of Surabaya downtown area (Source: modified from Google Street View)

Figure 3 .Figure 4 .
Figure 3. Experiences of pedestrian crossing in Shibuya before and after the traffic lights on, Tokyo (Author, 2023)