Dr Achituv Cohen - Walkability: Geo-informatic Tools for Sustainable Urban Mobility

IAS Visiting Fellow Dr Achituv Cohen delivers a seminar on their research -  Walkability is a key element in modern urban planning, shaping cities' environmental, social, and economic dynamics. Factors such as street design, destination proximity, connectivity, and subjective perceptions like safety and comfort influence walkability. However, measuring it effectively remains challenging, particularly when combining both objective and subjective factors. In this seminar, Dr Cohen will share insights from his research and other studies on walkability measurement using Geographic Information System (GIS) and geospatial data science. He will explore how innovative methodologies, like machine and deep learning, offering new ways to analyse walking behaviour. Additionally, he will introduce emerging trends, including integrating subjective perceptions, improving accessibility for vulnerable populations, and utilizing the POI VizNet, tool we developed for assessing urban visual accessibility.  These approaches enhance our ability to understand walkability and not just deepen our knowledge of urban mobility, but also contribute to the creation of more inclusive and sustainable communities.  For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias