Changing perceptions on healthy cities and climate change through inclusive street design

Le résumé fourni par la source

Climate change is an existential threat for human society.Urban settlements account for 75% of the contribution of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), with transport and construction being the largest contributors.Africa is urbanising at the highest rate globally (World Bank.(2015) and experts warn that the continent will be hardest hit by climate change if immediate action is not taken.Studies in Addis Ababa, Kampala and Lagos confirm that toxic air pollution in these fast growing metropolises are related to urbanisation and population growth, turbocharged by construction booms, increased energy use, vehicle emissions and industrialisation (AirQualityNews, 2020).Urban pedestrianisation programmes have led to a reduced number of vehicles parked along streets while encouraging active mobility including walking and cycling.It goes without saying that air quality has improved in such places.This study took advantage of the 2021 Urban October campaign that focused on the climate crisis in line with the theme of UN-Habitat's campaign ClimateAction4Cities (UNHABITAT, 2021).The research was conducted with the goal of understanding the public perception on climate resilience and the related impacts of an urban pedesitralization intervention.The area of study was Nairobi central business district with particular focus on the environment along and around a downtown street that the city authorities pedestrianised.Methodologies used in the study included initial secondary research on public perceptions of climate change and successful urban climate friendly interventions.On street engagements were done with stakeholders who were interviewed by means of questionnaires.These included nearby paratransit and motorcycle taxi operators, shop owners and attendants as well as members of the public.Questionnaires captured their views on climate change, sought proposals on climate resilient ideas from them and attempted to get an understanding of the social, environmental and economic impact of the downtown street pedestrianisation project.A transect walk was also conducted taking video recordings and photographs that captured street activity on the pedestrianised street and adjacent streets that have not had any interventions.The results portrayed a relatively good understanding of the wider impacts of climate change with many people associating it with global warming, changes caused through bad environmental practices, rise in sea levels and extreme weather conditions.Over 80% of the respondents believed that they were affected by climate change and the most popular action to prevent climate change effects was the planting of trees.88.3% of the respondents were in favour of the interventions done along the street, and evident benefits included more people walking into shops, increased sales, more window shopping, increased occupancy and more confidence by suppliers.60-81% recorded an improved business environment while 37% had increased their operation CAP, C.T Changing Perceptions on Healthy Cities and Climate Change through inclusive Street Designhours.The impact on health was a key outcome and this was noted by 61.3% of the respondents.One respondent's quote was 'I use my inhaler less frequently.'The study brought out the importance of improved streets as a way of developing healthier cities.The interventions go a long way in improving people's health and reducing GHG emissions within urban areas by encouraging active mobility and also positively impacting on the business environment.A final study report and research paper were prepared and summarised by means of infographics that were shared with city authorities, urban planners and members of the public for advocacy purposes..

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