IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/urbstu/v62y2025i8p1546-1565.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Urban street dynamics: Assessing the relationship of sidewalk width and pedestrian activity in Auckland, New Zealand, based on mobile phone data

Author

Listed:
  • I-Ting Chuang

    (The University of Auckland, New Zealand)

  • Qingqing Chen

    (University at Buffalo, USA)

Abstract

This study empirically examines the adequacy of sidewalk widths in Auckland’s Central Business District in light of increasing active mobility and sustainable urban planning trends. Recognising the need to retrofit street spaces to prioritise pedestrians, we aim to determine whether current sidewalk dimensions meet the diverse requirements of users. We analysed average sidewalk widths and developed four mobility metrics – inflow and outflow travel distance, and density of visitors and locals – using a large-scale mobile location dataset comprising 113 million data points from 1.4 million users. These metrics, reflecting urban vibrancy and sidewalk use, were correlated with sidewalk widths to assess their adequacy. Furthermore, we applied cluster analysis to these mobility metrics, along with the diversity of Points of Interest, to categorise sidewalk segments, uncovering intricate usage patterns. Our findings indicate that sidewalks typically range from 2 to 5 m, catering to varied urban needs. Notably, we observed no direct correlation between sidewalk width and mobility patterns, but significant differences in inflow and outflow travel distances were evident, especially between key urban hubs and quiet residential neighbourhoods. Moreover, we identified seven distinct sidewalk categories, each reflecting unique qualities, suggesting that uniform widths do not define sidewalk utility or character. This highlights the need to rethink current capacity-focused sidewalk design, advocating for a nuanced approach that addresses the intricate demands of urban spaces. Our methodology offers flexibility and can be tailored to suit different urban contexts, providing a versatile tool for urban analysis and planning.

Suggested Citation

  • I-Ting Chuang & Qingqing Chen, 2025. "Urban street dynamics: Assessing the relationship of sidewalk width and pedestrian activity in Auckland, New Zealand, based on mobile phone data," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 62(8), pages 1546-1565, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:62:y:2025:i:8:p:1546-1565
    DOI: 10.1177/00420980241293659
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00420980241293659
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/00420980241293659?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:62:y:2025:i:8:p:1546-1565. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/urbanstudiesjournal .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.