Changing context of walking behaviour: Impacts of movement restrictions in the urban neighbourhoods coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic

Recent theoretical and empirical urban planning studies suggest that the availability of daily amenities, such as shopping stores, health care units, education services, pharmacies, within a 15-20-minute walking distance can keep daily life flux and also bring physical activities to individuals coping with the movement limitations of lockdowns during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This paper focuses on the relationship between neighborhood walkability and the changing walking behavior of 514 individuals during these lockdowns. The spatial context of this relationship highlights three main urban design aspects of the novel and innovative urban neighborhood planning: walkable access, spatial proximity, and social cohesion. This study demonstrates how restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 Pandemic affect the walking behaviors of the individuals, within 15-20 minute walkable and non-walkable neighborhoods located in different socio-economic geographies from American, European, Asian, Western Pacific, African, and Eastern Mediterranean cities. The discussion section of the methodology is supported by a survey questionnaire conducted in 24 disparate neighborhoods. Our data obtained from survey questionnaires is indicating that lockdown restrictions during the Pandemic influenced the walking purpose. Research findings also reflect limitations during the Pandemic complicate individuals’ requiring access to amenities in urban neighborhoods. With a nod to future studies on this topic, this paper proposes a basic framework as well as a thematic analysis with superimposed polar matrix charts.