Development and Reliability Testing of a Walkability Audit Tool for GCC Cities

This study presents the development and validation of a context-sensitive walkability assessment tool for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) commercial areas. Existing international audit tools often fail to assess the unique cultural and climatic environments of these areas. To address this gap, the Commercial-Central Street Walkability Audit Tool for GCC cities (CCSWAT-GCC) was developed using a mixed-method approach, including a literature review, expert opinions, public perception weighting, and field-based reliability testing, which includes 49 indicators. Reliability testing showed moderate to substantial agreement (81.21%, total kappa of 0.581) among raters, ensuring practical application. The CCSWAT-GCC contributes to walkability research by integrating local cultural and climatic considerations with micro-level environmental auditing practices. The findings provide urban planners and policymakers with a reliable framework for evaluating and improving commercial street environments in GCC cities, supporting evidence-based urban interventions in hot-climate contexts.