Urban walkability assessment, a double examination by physical environment and users’ perceptions: The Case of Jijel City in Algeria

Sustainable urban development directives recognize walking in urban areas as gentle and environmental friendly mode of displacement within urban areas. This perception aligns with the concept of Eco citizenship of cities and has recently sparked interest among researchers in improving walkability within cities. This work aims at a double synchronized evaluation of the urbanized landscape comprising the walking spaces and the perception of users towards it in the Algerian context. To achieve this, a combined method is employed, involving a quantitative method for an objective assessment of the built-up framework, which is based on an urban audit through the MAPISE project (senior walkability), and a qualitative method for a subjective assessment of the users' perception using a survey. The urban walkability assessment methodology is implemented using the city of Jijel as a case study. By integrating both assessments, this study emphasizes the importance of considering objective and subjective evaluations. This study provides a novel understanding of the urban walkability, and its perception by Algerian City residents.