Pacoima City Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Pacoima City - Research Paper Example It is the state of the city which determines whether the areas safe for living that is in terms of physical factors and social factors which are known as city form. Analysing political and social factors clearly describe how the city looks like and it will be so important for investors and people who may have interest in taking part in the activities of the city. Walkability is defined as a measure of how an area is friendly for walking. Walkability has many economic benefits, environmental benefits and health benefits. Walkability is influenced by a number of factors; these factors include the absence or the presents of quality sidewalks, footpaths or other right of way of pedestrians, road and traffic conditions, building accessibility, and land use patterns among others. Pedestrian travel provides both individuals and society with a wide range of benefits. Planners and public health officials alike have been promoting policies that improve the quality of the built environment for pedestrians: mixed land uses, interconnected street networks, sidewalks and other facilities (Cao, 2006). Whether such policies will prove effective remains open to debate. In particular, two issues need further attention. First, the impact of the built environment on pedestrian behaviour may depend on the purpose of the trip, whether for the purposes of utilitarian or recreational. Second, the connection between the built environment and pedestrian behaviour may be more a matter of residential location choice than of travel choice (Cao, 2006). This study aims to provide new evidence on both questions. Studies have found out that although residential self-selection impacts both types of trips, it is the most important factor explaining walking to a destination for instance, shopping. After accounting for self-selection, neighbourhood characteristics, more specifically the perceptions of these characteristics, impact strolling frequency, while characteristics of local commercial area s are important in facilitating these trips such as shopping. Additionally, walkability has proved to have more community health benefits and individually, those activities appears to increase the number of friends and the number of people to associate with in life and also social interaction at large. Carbon monoxide emissions will be reduced because when people prefer walking opposed to driving there will be less emission of carbon gases. Walkability has also economic benefits apart from other benefits, this include the accessibility, it saves cost to both the public and individuals, it will increase the use of land and there will be no land to be wasted, increase in liveability and also the economic benefits which will be found by improving public and individual health and economic developing among the other benefits. The benefits are mostly guaranteed to the entire city not only limited to certain routes which are specialized. According to the American institute for cancer resea rch and the world cancer research fund they released their report that the people should be encouraged walking, because that walking will decrease the cancer infection. Literature Review Walkability is that measure of how a particular area is friendly to walking. It has health-wise, economic and environmental benefits. There are many factors that influence walkability which include land use patterns, building accessibility, traffic and