Assessing Walkability and Safety: A Spatial Multi-Criteria Method for Evaluating Unsignalized Pedestrian Crossings for Sustainable Urban Mobility

Accurate inventories of pedestrian infrastructure are pivotal for effective sustainable spatial planning and form the foundation for developing walkable, equitable cities. This paper proposes a spatial multi-criteria framework for conducting detailed inventories and safety evaluations of unsignalized pedestrian crossings by integrating field data collection with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The approach involves a structured survey protocol to capture over 19 infrastructure attributes, which are subsequently aggregated into a weighted scoring system to calculate an Unsignalized Pedestrian Crossing Quality Index (UPCQI). Field data acquisition is supported by mobile applications and photographic documentation. A core component of this framework is the integration of infrastructure quality scores with spatial analysis of critical Points of Interest (POIs), where there is high pedestrian demand. The methodology’s feasibility is validated through a pilot study in a selected city, which detects “weak links” in the network specifically crossings with low quality scores located in zones of high pedestrian potential. Finally, the paper discusses the role of this decision-support tool in supporting sustainable urban mobility goals, enabling targeted safety analyses, assessing accessibility, and informing evidence-based spatial planning decisions. It provides methodological recommendations for road managers aiming to create safer, more sustainable urban environments.