Do boulevards play a role as pedestrian corridors? Unpacking an urban paradigm with pedestrian count data

Source abstract

Cities increasingly prioritize pedestrian-friendly environments to enhance sustainability and accessibility. Boulevards are often considered iconic pedestrian-friendly streets, balancing vehicular traffic with active transport. However, despite their reputation as key pedestrian corridors, there is limited scientific evidence supporting this notion with actual pedestrian count (PC) data. More broadly, big data technologies remain underutilized in pedestrian monitoring compared to motorized traffic research. This study utilizes longitudinal data from a mobile application in Tel-Aviv, Israel, to examine PC in boulevards compared to other streets across varying temporal contexts. The analysis spans multiple scales- from a city-wide perspective to neighbourhoods and detailed street sections- incorporating geospatial characteristics, such as network centrality, bus stations, trees, lighting, and proximity to destinations. City-scale findings show that boulevards attract more pedestrians on weekdays, with no statistically significant differences observed on weekends in most seasons. Furthermore, the role of boulevards within their neighbourhood varies over time - some function as key pedestrian routes during specific times, e.g., certain seasons or weekdays vs. weekends, while the majority showed no notable difference compared to nearby streets. A detailed examination of PC in selected boulevards and their parallel streets suggests that while boulevard-specific design features—such as medians or enhanced landscaping—may improve walking experience, it does not necessarily translate into increased walking volumes. Streets with basic pedestrian-supportive features can be just as attractive for walking, even without the formal design of a boulevard.