Urban planners, governments and developers are increasingly interested in making cities “livable”. But which features contribute to livability? Which areas of the city are the least livable and most livable? The various livability rankings (which Australia tends to do well) do not provide much useful guidance.
In the recently released report “Creating Livable Cities in Australia”, our team defined and developed the first benchmark measure of the livability of Australian capital cities.
We divide livability into seven “fields”: walkability, public transportation, public open space, housing affordability, employment, eating environment and alcohol environment. This definition is based on what we found to be a key factor in creating livable, sustainable and healthy communities.
Every livable area is linked to health and well-being outcomes through evidence. They can also be measured at the detached house, suburban and city levels. This means that we can compare areas within and between cities.
Although all seven areas are important, three areas will be explored in more detail here.
Walkability
Urban planning that encourages walking is essential for livable cities. Juliana Rozek/provided author
In livable cities, streets and neighborhoods are designed to encourage walking rather than driving. Houses, workplaces, shops, schools and other daily destinations are all within walking distance. The street network is convenient for pedestrians, with high-quality footpaths, short blocks, few dead ends and high-density houses.
Livability is an important factor in livability because it promotes active transportation. Physical inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle are global health problems, causing about 3.2 million preventable deaths each year. In Australia, 60% of adults and 70% of children and young people do not get enough exercise.
We use a combination of functions related to health benefits to measure walking. Our “Walkability Index” includes housing density, daily access locations, and street connectivity within 1,600 meters of residences. This is a commonly used “walkable” distance, which is approximately equivalent to walking for 20 minutes, and its functions will affect the likelihood of a person walking.
However, only when residents have easy access to employment opportunities, especially through public transportation, can pedestrian communities achieve their full potential.
Public transit
Livable cities promote the use of public transportation rather than driving. Most houses are within walking distance of the bus station, and services are so frequent that they are convenient.
The convenience of public transportation supports community health in two ways: encouraging walking and reducing dependence on driving.
Australian cities are largely designed for cars, but at the cost of community health. For every hour spent driving a car, the risk of obesity increases by 6%. Road traffic accidents are the eighth leading cause of death and disability worldwide, and one of the leading causes of death for Australians under 44.
Cars are also a major source of urban air pollution and noise, which are harmful to physical and mental health.
In previous work, our team found that if people have a public transportation station within 400 meters of their home, they are more likely to walk. Service frequency is also important-at least once every 30 minutes on a normal working day.
In “Creating Livable Cities in Australia”, we used this combined metric to map the percentage of houses in suburbs, local government areas, or cities where public transportation is frequently used.
Public open space
In livable communities, most people live within walking distance of publicly accessible green open spaces such as parks, playgrounds, or conservation areas.
Green space has many physical and mental health benefits for people, while it has social and environmental benefits for communities. The park provides opportunities for physical exercise, such as jogging, catching balls, and dogs.
More and more studies have found a clear link between living in a community with many parks and higher levels of exercise.
Urban green space is also important for flora and fauna displaced by urban development and provides other environmental benefits. The cooling effect of trees and green spaces plays an important role in maintaining the livability of Australian cities, especially when the heat wave in Melbourne and Sydney may reach 50°C by 2040.
In the work to be published, you can walk into the entertainment venues. The public places have at least 1.5 hectares of land located within 400 meters (about 5 minutes on foot), and there are public places in this area.
The term “livable city” is reminiscent of tree-lined streets, happy residents walking, cycling or taking public transport, and children playing in nearby parks. Although this image is inspiring, it is of no use to urban planners and governments who are working to make cities more liveable.
Livability is refined into seven areas that can be measured and correlated with health and well-being results, providing decision makers and practitioners with what they need to ensure that we maintain and enhance the livability of the city as the city develops Sex.
