Modeling safety as a walkability pillar: key indicators enhancing social interaction in mixed-use streets

Abstract

Abstract Over the past four decades, there has been a substantial increase in scholarly research exploring the link between walkability and the physical environment, with safety being a prominent consideration. Within walkability research, the concept of safety is usually broken down into two aspects: actual safety and how safe people feel. Many studies have investigated safety as a critical factor in walkability—especially concerning crime and traffic risks—but there is insufficient detail about the specific factors that most strongly shape how pedestrians interact with each other and how they experience and perceive these spaces. This research seeks to pinpoint the most impactful safety factors that promote social interaction on streets with mixed-use streets, concentrating on Mosul City, Iraq. A mixed methodology was used, which included field of observation and distributing a survey to 400 people. The gathered information was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS to construct a reliable model of walkability centered around safety. The study verifies direct, positive correlations between safety and social interaction and between safety and user perception, and it identifies an indirect relationship whereby user perception mediates the effect of environmental attributes on social interaction. This study reveals that several key features are particularly effective. These crucial elements encompass freedom from physical hazards, adequate street lighting at night, CCTV security, feeling safe from crime or harassment, the presence of people in the street, safe crossing due to controlled traffic speeds, refuge islands, and well-designed crosswalks. These findings provide empirically grounded guidance for urban designers and policymakers working to rejuvenate walkable public spaces in developing urban environments.

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