Walkability under Climate Pressure: Application to Three UNESCO World Heritage Cities in Central Spain

A generalized decrease in walkability is projected for three UNESCO World Heritage cities—Salamanca, Ávila, and Segovia—due to climate change pressures. The study introduces a novel methodology to calculate walkability indices, incorporating factors like facilities, accessibility, urban density, green spaces, and climate variables such as temperature and solar radiation. The findings reveal that while city centers and newer neighborhoods exhibit high walkability scores, peripheral areas face significant declines under future climate scenarios, particularly in high greenhouse gas emission models. This methodology serves as a valuable tool for sustainable tourist route planning, identifying the most resilient areas for pedestrian movement.

Velázquez, J., Infante, J., Gómez, I., Hernando, A., Gülçin, D., Herráez, F., Rincón, V., & Castanho, R. A. (2023). Walkability under Climate Pressure: Application to Three UNESCO World Heritage Cities in Central Spain. Land, 12(5), 944. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050944