Suggesting Pedestrian Experience Principles of the Mobility Handicapped

Abstract

The aim of this study is to establish pedestrian experience(PX) principles of the mobility handicapped. Due to the increasing attention to the pedestrian-friendly walking environment, walkability has been studied in the various field. However, walkability has been studied mainly in terms of ease and safety of walking although the walking environment has various functional aspects to a pedestrian as well as walking. It is difficult to reflect various experiences of the pedestrian as a concept of walkability. PX is a concept that expands the walkability to mirror diverse experiences of pedestrians. PX research needs to be given priority for those who often face with discomfort during walking. To constitute PX principles, we investigated which goals the existing studies set to design a pedestrian-friendly walking environment. The PX principles were supplemented by two methods; in-depth interview with the workers who works for the mobility handicapped and diary method with the mobility handicapped. The participants of in-depth interview worked for six types of the mobility handicapped; the visually impaired, hearing impaired, mentally handicapped, physically challenged, the aged, and a child. The types of those who participated in the diary method were the hearing impaired, mentally handicapped, physically challenged. Four PX principles and eight-teen sub-principles were derived. PX principles we suggested would help to design walking environment for the pedestrian.