Developing a Systematic Protocol to Evaluate the Neighborhood Environment for Pedestrian Safety - A Comparison and Triangulation of Three Investigation Methods using Korean Case Studies -

Abstract

Background This study is an exploratory one with the aim to develop a systematic protocol for the evaluation and improvement of the pedestrian safety of a neighborhood. The author developed the protocol based on the critical review of existing literature and conducted a multiple-case study to demonstrate the usefulness of the developed protocol. Methods The protocol includes three different investigation tools: map/data analysis using secondary data, field observation by trained investigators, and resident survey including mapping. The cases for the multiple-case study were two neighborhoods in Seoul metropolitan area, Korea. The case study compared the usability of the three investigative tools and explored how to deduce implications through triangulation. Result Results of the case study suggest that the investigators’field observation was more accurate than the residents’responses in the survey regarding traffic safety, based on statistics of traffic accidents at the sites, while the resident surveys better reflected the feelings and perceptions of residents. Conclusion In conclusion, the author suggests different approaches for the integration of the three analyses depending on what is considered more important, residents’ anxiety levels or actual safety levels.