Development of a mixed-method approach to analyze walkability: a case on two urban residential neighborhoods in Ankara

In these times when the devastating effects of global warming are felt, giving up fossil fuels and developing active transportation routes are prerequisites for sustainability in the cities. Walkability was introduced as a key factor in urban planning and the promotion of healthier, environmentally friendly, economically productive, and socially active communities. The main aim of this study is to propose a mixed-method that combines exploratory factor analysis, multi-criteria decision-making analysis, and mapping techniques to analyze the walkability of existing and newly developing urban neighborhood settlements in a metropolitan city and to contribute to the literature in this field. Based on the theories and researches the relationship between perceived and objectively measured walkability was analyzed. This study proposes a bottom-up approach for investigating the walkability factors, rather than seeing walkability as an index of pre-set criteria. The emergent perceived walkability parameters derived from the exploratory factor analysis provided fruitful results for both Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Analysis and Multi-Criteria Overlay Walkability Maps. The findings of this study will provide important clues for both city planners and decision-makers to analyze walkability.