Neighbourhood Walkability as a Determinant of Sustainable Transport Mode Choice: Evidence from Nigeria

Despite the increasing popularity, walking is gaining as a sustainable transport mode, it is often de-emphasised in the planning and design of neighbourhoods and cities as well as in transport infrastructure investments, especially in the developing world. Thus, the built environment greatly supports the automobile at the expense of active transport modes, resulting in an undesirable pedestrian environment. Studies have established that the characteristics of the built environment play a major role in residents’ choice of walking as a transport mode. Against this backdrop, this chapter attempts an assessment of neighbourhood walkability in Ilesa, Nigeria. Both subjective measurements, based on pedestrians’ perception, and objective measurements, through direct field observation, were taken. The data obtained were subjected to both descriptive and inferential analyses. It is found that neighbourhood walkability in Ilesa is directly proportional to residential density. Overall, the walkability level for Ilesa and its constituent neighbourhoods is found to be moderate, owing to a general deficit or absence of essential pedestrian facilities. Furthermore, a significant relationship is found between walking as a transport mode and several neighbourhood characteristics. The study concludes that overhauling some neighbourhood characteristics could encourage walking as a transport mode choice in the city. Consequently, practicable policy recommendations are proffered towards the overhauling of neighbourhood characteristics and the general improvement of the pedestrian environment in the city. It is hoped that, towards the promotion of sustainable transport, the findings of this study will be found relevant in policymaking, design/redesign, and planning of cities, especially in Nigeria.