A influência do ambiente construído: a caminhabilidade no centro da cidade de Patos, PB

Abstract

Patos is a municipality located in the interior of the State of Paraíba that has experienced population and automobiles growth in recent years. This expansion, together with the lack of urban planning geared towards people, led to negative results for the city, related to urban mobility and accessibility. Studies on walking is gaining more and more space. Several scholars discuss how some elements of the built environment positively or negatively influence movement via foot. Walkability is a conscious choice for locomotion on foot. This decision provides the user with social interactions and experience with the urban environment, two fundamental points for the construction of community ties. Therefore, the objective of this work is to comprehend how the components of the urban infrastructure of walkway influence the we transit on foot to the downtown of Patos – PB, validating the walkability, not its spatial cut, based on the methodology of practical issues and subjective questions do urban space. For this purpose, indicators and categories of walking have been established and applied to the sidewalks in the downtown of Patos, which have various uses of the soil in the region. The results presents the indicators that we can positively influence people's transit on foot, hence helping the public authorities to improve their spaces and make them more walkable environments.