Mitigating Risks in Pedestrian Pathways of Railway Station Districts: A Parma Case Analysis

Enhancing walkability can involve optimizing pedestrian movements, ensuring both convenience and safety. This proves to be particularly relevant in the context of railway stations as they can be identified as collectors of urban mobility flows and at the same time as central and interconnected urban spaces, able to give integrated responses to new social needs linked both to daily life and tourism. Thus, enhancing active mobility in these areas includes facilitating seamless access to the station, platforms, and surrounding areas, thereby promoting sustainability in transportation, encouraging an active lifestyle, and enhancing the overall experience for railway station users. To address walkability risks within railway station districts, the study seeks to contribute to minimising security risks and optimizing safety perceptions on pedestrian paths and crossings. Leveraging the Parma case study, the research introduces a methodology for evaluating walkability within a specified buffer zone around the station, using two Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) defined as Safety and Security, applied to the pedestrian network graph. The research proposes a methodology considering specific factors relevant to the Safety and Security KPIs. The results highlight critical issues within the study area, pinpointing high-risk zones through graphical representation. Results might help prioritising interventions, providing essential support for sustainable mobility planning. Future research endeavours will encompass an expansion of the analysis with additional datasets, aiming to identify further essential KPIs for assessing walkability comprehensively.