Do Better Urban Design Qualities Lead to More Walking in Salt Lake City, Utah?

Urban designers recognize the importance of perceptual qualities to an active street life but have had little empirical evidence to support the claim. Recent research has developed measurement protocols for urban design qualities related to walkability. A subsequent study conducted in New York City confirmed the explanatory powers of the measures. However, New York City is exceptionally walkable. This study seeks to validate urban design qualities in terms of walkability in Salt Lake City, Utah. This research validates specific micro-urban design measures of walkability while controlling for spatial autocorrelation, finding that imageability, in addition to transparency, adds significantly to walkability.