City of Turku Encouraging People to Walk
The city of Turku aims to increase the number of people using walking for transportation in the city by encouraging walking instead of the use of private vehicles. Walking and other active transport modes contribute to the goal of the city to achieve carbon neutrality by 2029. To reach this objective, suitable infrastructure and conditions for walking and cycling are needed. (Turku Climate Plan 2029 2018.)
The article is written based on the master thesis Service Design for Walking in the City of Turku. The main approaches are using design thinking and service design methodology for researching the needs and barriers of citizens concerning walking in the city of Turku. Walkability and possibilities of urban design are explored to find out solutions for improving walkability in the city area.
No Place for E-scooters on Sidewalks
Turku, like most other cities, has not escaped the growing popularity of micro-mobility. Electric scooters laying on the walkways and sidewalks have become a common sight in the city. Space for pedestrians has become narrower because the same space needs to be shared with e-scooter riders and improperly parked e-scooters.
The biggest concern for pedestrians is their safety. Fear of being hit by an e-scooter has grown as the number of e-scooters has increased. E-scooter riders usually drive among pedestrians at rather high speeds. For older, visually impaired people and people with reduced mobility, improperly parked e-scooters can act as obstacles blocking their ways and, at worst, they can cause accidents that result to severe injuries. (BBC News 2021; Closson 2021.)
If walking is perceived as a stressful and dangerous activity, people may become reluctant to walk. For this reason, separate and clear lanes are needed to separate two-wheeled vehicles from pedestrians to avoid conflicts between sidewalk and walkway users. Pedestrians walk at different speeds, which is why sidewalks should be wide enough to accommodate pedestrians with different ages, abilities and purposes for walking. (NACTO 2016, 72.)
By educating e-scooter users and organizing communication campaigns and cooperation between e-scooter operators, the safety and comfort of both pedestrians and e-scooter riders can be ensured. The city of Helsinki, together with the e-scooter operators, has agreed on new rules for e-scooters. An additional fee can now be charged from users who fail to properly park the e-scooter after use. (Yle News 2022.)
Walking Is Beneficial Not Only for Our Health but Also for the Local Business
The city of Turku can provide the necessary basis for comfortable walking conditions, such as the infrastructure, lighting, and accessibility, but the cooperation between the various stakeholders in the city is also needed to increase walking as a means of transport within the city. A vibrant city center and lively streets contribute to the assurance of safety in the city. Mixed land use that combines commercial and residential use helps ensure that streets are lively at different times of the day. Temporal and inexpensive changes can improve the walking environment in the city. The city can return streets to pedestrians by reducing the number of parking spaces available in the city, as the city of Oslo did (European green capital 2019).
The spaces previously reserved for car parking can be reused for the needs of pedestrians by converting them into event spaces, seating areas or playgrounds. Having more streets dedicated only to pedestrians can be beneficial to the environment and to the local businesses. Restaurants and shops can make more seating available for pedestrians, and making the façades attractive can encourage people to visit or at least stop by to admire a beautiful place along their walking route.
The city of Turku can involve local stakeholders, including communities and non-profit organizations, in the promotion of walking. The benefits of walking should not be underestimated but people should be reminded about them frequently through communication campaigns both at schools and workplaces. Living Streets is a United Kingdom-based charity that promotes walking by organizing the Walk to School Month that encourages pupils and their parents to choose sustainable transport modes for commutes to school (Living streets 2020). The city of Antwerp in Belgium made walking routes to schools safe by banning heavy goods vehicles at specific hours on school days (ETSC 2018, 80).
Residents can be encouraged to walk by utilizing gamification, like Beat the Street game in the United Kingdom that encourages people to walk, run and cycle in the city and collect points in exchange for prizes (Intelligent Health 2022). Healthy and more physically active residents can be beneficial both to public health care and the environment.
Weather Enables and Prevents from Walking
Walking in Turku in summer and in winter are as different as night and day. In general, walking in summer is easier and more attractive than in winter. However, for some people the heat can be a barrier for doing a journey on foot. Likewise, frost, snow, and slipperiness in winter or heavy rain can prevent people from walking. Weather conditions play an important role in people’s choice to walk. Unfortunately, the city of Turku cannot influence the weather. However, it can ensure that walking is possible despite the weather conditions, which are not always favorable for walking in Finland. Shelters against rain and heavy snow along the way and shades in summer can protect pedestrians from unfriendly weather conditions. Regular snow plowing and sanding are essential to enable walking in winter. Well working drainage systems ensure that walkways are not flooded after heavier rains or when the snow melts. Darkness in Finland brings challenges to pedestrians as well. For many pedestrians, walking in the dark is not an option. Good street lighting is a must during the darkest months for encouraging people to walk.
Recommendations for making walking more inviting
The research shows that people consider walking more as a leisure activity than a means of transportation. The conditions for walking in Turku are seen as sufficient. On weekdays busy timetables and long distances are obstacles for walking. Weather can be both a barrier and an inspirer. Areas for development are seen in pedestrian safety, especially in the driving styles of electric scooters and bicycles. Street lighting, the quality of pavements and the attractiveness of routes are also needs for improvement.
Recommendations for the city include involving local businesses, communities, schools, and workplaces in the promotion of walking. Raising awareness of benefits of walking with communication campaigns could promote walking, as well as incorporating gamification and technology. It would be essential to ensure pedestrian priority and safety with speed limits for motor vehicles, by designating parking areas for e-scooters and separating e-scooters and bicycles from pedestrians, establishing car-free zones, and ensuring sufficient lighting along walkways and crosswalks. Maintaining a good environment along the walkways by keeping it clean, mowing the lawns and other vegetation often enough, and keeping sidewalks and walkways free from ice, snow, and leaves would benefit walkers. Keeping the streets lively with different events and services would add attractiveness and feeling of safety.
More information on ways how walking can be promoted in the city of Turku can be found from the Master’s thesis Service Design for Walking in the City of Turku of a service design student Auguste Gronskyte.
References
BBC News (2021, June 30). Paris threatens e-scooter ban after woman’s death. Retrieved 12.06.2022, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57664420
Closson, T. (2021, August 6). New York man charged in scooter crash that killed the actress Lisa Banes. The New York Times. Retrieved 12.06.2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/06/nyregion/lisa-banes-gone-girl-brian-boyd-charged.html
ETSC=European Transport Safety Council (2018, January 6). Antwerp to trial lorry ban at beginning and end of school day. Retrieved 12.06.2022, from https://etsc.eu/antwerp-to-trial-lorry-ban-at-beginning-and-end-of-school-day/
Oslo European Green Capital 2019 – final report. Retrieved 12.06.2022, from https://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/wp-content/uploads/2020/Oslo_European_Green_Capital_2019_final_report.pdf
Living streets (2020). OCTOBER IS INTERNATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL MONTH. Retrieved 12.06.2022, from https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/international-walk-to-school-month
Intelligent Health (2022). How to play. Retrieved 12.06.2022, from https://www.beatthestreet.me/loughborough/how-to-play
NACTO = National Association of City Transportation Officials (2016). Global Street Design Guide. Global Designing Cities Initiative. National Association of City. Retrieved 12.06.2022, from https://globaldesigningcities.org/publication/global-street-design-guide/
Turku Climate Plan 2029 (2018). The City of Turku Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan 2029. Turku City Council 11 June 2018 § 142. Retrieved 12.06.2022, from https://www.turku.fi/sites/default/files/atoms/files/turku_climate_plan_2029.pdf
Yle News (2022). Helsinki’s e-scooter renters face new rules, parking violation fees. Retrieved 12.06.2022, from https://yle.fi/news/3-12376040