Auditing streets’ pedestrian compatibility: A study of school sites’ requalification

This paper aims at promoting sustainable mobility in urban areas, by focusing on the assessment of pedestrian routes compatibility in proximity of schools and the identification of both short and long term interventions. The case study is the city of Acireale, a small town of 50,000 inhabitants in Sicily (Italy), characterized by the presence of school facilities scattered throughout the whole urban area. Based on previous research, a walkability index was calculated and thematic maps were elaborated in a GIS environment. A case study of educational centre with a low pedestrian compatibility index has been analysed in detail and different measures of intervention have been proposed, aiming at ensuring continuity, safety and pleasantness of pedestrian paths. The overall aim is to provide decision-makers with a planning-support method that can aid them to decide the priority of investments, based on street centrality and pedestrian compatibility.