Assessing the relationship between sidewalk walkability and pedestrians’ travel behaviors in hot arid regions: Khobar, Saudi Arabia

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Abstract
Walking is a vital activity. Therefore, governments deploy resources to improve walkability. The relationship between the walkability of sidewalks and walking frequency to a given destination in the context of hot arid regions has been overlooked in the literature. This study examines this relationship in Khobar, Saudi Arabia.The methodology is composed of two parts: the MAPPA (Marchabilité pour les personnes âgées) audit and the users survey. Three districts in Khobar city were selected. On-site assessment was completed. Sidewalks ranking criteria were adopted from the MAPPA, and the analysis was performed using GIS applications.In the studied districts, an average of 81% of respondents indicated that they like walking. An average of 91.6% confirmed that they would walk more if sidewalk walkability was improved.The study concluded that sidewalk walkability could be related to pedestrian behaviors in Khobar. However, other factors affect these behaviors, such as users’ socioeconomic characteristics.

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