The Healthy City Reimagined: Walkability, Active Mobility, and the Challenges of Measurement and Evaluation

Abstract: Recently, there has been a growing interest in exploring the relationship between walkability and various aspects such as health, urban planning, and sustainability. This interest stems from the acknowledgement of the impact of walking on issues such as obesity, pollution, and other diseases, even if these are only weakly correlated. This scoping review was carried out to shed light on the link between walkability and health. The main objectives of this review are to describe the tools used to evaluate walkability, to highlight the variations in measurement methods, and to offer a critical evaluation of these tools. The final analysis includes a review of the most recent and comprehensive studies and online resources. Finally, an evaluation of the tools was carried out, with a focus on urban and architectural expertise relating to design, functions, and activities in public spaces, analysing the few available bibliographic references that correlate walkability with measured health outcomes using validated tools and health information flow. Neighbourhood walkability is influenced by the availability of functional amenities, activities, and safety. Failure to consider its importance on human health could lead to urban social inequalities and thus failure to create salutogenic cities, which could have major implications in terms of public health.