A caminhabilidade como instrumento de gestão para o bem-estar da população

Abstract

Modern urban planning prioritizes vehicles and neglects pedestrians and public transportation, which leads to car dependency, congestion, pollution, environmental degradation, sedentary lifestyles, and related diseases. This paper explores the relationship between walkability—urban features that encourage walking—green spaces, and health; seeking to inspire public policies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. The research aims to analyze how walkability can contribute to promoting the use of public green spaces. The specific objectives are: to discuss the benefits of green spaces for quality of life, to identify features of public spaces that influence walking by observing a region with green spaces in the Federal District, and to discuss urban requalification through increasing the walkability index. The research analyzed the relevance of public green spaces and urban planning focused on the needs of pedestrians for healthy, inclusive, and sustainable cities. It presented theories that support the assessment of walkability, highlighting the attributes proposed by the iCam 2.0 method, developed by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policies Brazil. The study involved fieldwork to collect data, produce images and graphs, and culminated in a diagnosis of walkability in 20 segments of sidewalks in a public green area and 54 segments in its surroundings, in the Administrative Region of Guará. The quantitative study indicated low scores for the Sidewalks and Public Safety indexes. The qualitative study revealed non-compliance with accessibility legislation, with ramps and uneven surfaces obstructing passages and forcing pedestrians to use the roads. Privatized fences in public areas eliminated sidewalks and deteriorated the infrastructure. Lighting favored vehicles and neglected pedestrians, while safety in the green area was compromised by design errors and lack of maintenance, such as shadows from tall poles and broken lamps. The surrounding region had the greatest influence on the overall walkability index. The conclusions confirmed iCam 2.0 as an effective tool for public management, highlighting its comprehensiveness and easy application. The integration of walkability and green areas has proven to be essential for promoting health, well-being and quality of life, in addition to mitigating the negative impacts of car-oriented urban planning, such as pollution and sedentary lifestyles. This reinforces the urgency of public policies that prioritize pedestrians and value green areas, contributing to more inclusive and sustainable cities.