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Winter Pedestrianism: Mobility and Well-Being

Winter Pedestrianism: Understanding the Experience of Walking in a Northern Climate Gina Sylvestre Department of Geography University of Winnipeg February 13, 2014. Winter Pedestrianism: Mobility and Well-Being.

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Winter Pedestrianism: Mobility and Well-Being

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  1. Winter Pedestrianism: Understanding the Experience of Walkingin a Northern ClimateGina Sylvestre Department of GeographyUniversity of WinnipegFebruary 13, 2014

  2. Winter Pedestrianism: Mobility and Well-Being • Icy surfaces are one of the leading causes of falls, but the focus of research is on indoor falls related to work environments and long-term care settings for the elderly • Icy and snowy surfaces near melting temperatures are actually more slippery than wet indoor floors • What can research inform? • Understanding of how winter conditions impact mobility • Public health interventions that predict the risk of slips and falls on winter sidewalks • Long-term goal of a pedestrian-friendly winter environment

  3. Winter Pedestrianism: Mobility and Well-Being • Friction of ice is a complex problem • Intrinsic and extrinsic factors that are part of a systematic approach in enhancing the capacity to predict slipperiness of winter walkways • Research on winter pedestrianism has been conducted primarily in northern Europe and Japan • Focus on mechanical test methods illustrates the need for complimentary human-centred approaches • There are gaps in knowledge regarding how pedestrians respond to varying conditions such as loose snow and ice

  4. Measuring Slipperiness • Friction of Ice: Slipping occurs when the coefficient of friction (COF) between footwear and a walkway surface provides insufficient resistance to counteract the resulting force (Gao and Abeysekera 2004, 573). • Mechanically-based measurements of slipperiness • Mechanical slip-test methodology with friction-based criteria • Biomechanics of walking: four cycles of gait • Slip-resistant footwear • Snow clearing and treatments

  5. Measuring Slipperiness • Finish Meteorological Institute: • Winter Pavement Condition Predictive Model • Measurement of surface thickness • Estimate of prevailing friction • Limitations of measurement when high • snow accumulation

  6. Mobile Methods:Becoming a Winter Pedestrian • The body is the medium and movement is part of the multisensory experience that mediates the senses creating a person’s sense of place (Sunderland et al. 2012). • 2009-2010 - Five months of fieldwork • Predetermined routes, priority levels (P1, P2, P3) • Narrative of Place • Observation notes • Photographs • Reflective journal

  7. Weather • Preparation • Footwear • Fatigue • Thermal environment and human gait • “It was a natural reaction for me to shield • my face as I felt the cold air on my skin. • It was uncomfortable, even if I was dressed • adequately for the weather”

  8. Surface Conditions • “You need a lot of endurance and good balance • so you won’t fall when your feet sink into the snow.” • Snow clearing and storage • Inequalities forced upon winter walkers: • Those who can • Those who cannot

  9. Walking • Mobile practice: the inter-linkages of • Weather conditions • Surface conditions • Gait and postural response to adapt to conditions • Sensory cues: how pedestrians respond • Sensory perception: sound, visual, tactile • “As the temperature began to rise, the dry, compacted snow of the winter became smooth and slippery. With the continued melt, my feet began to sink into the snow, which became icy, wet and soft.”

  10. Winter Pedestrianism: Moving Forward • Public reaction to Surefoot and FMI pavement condition model: Need for education and awareness of diverse pedestrian needs • Need for a multi-method approach to investigate winter walking conditions • Empirical measures • Perceptions of winter walking safety • Model of Winter Walking

  11. Slush

  12. Snow

  13. Ice

  14. Walking on Ice: Winter 2013-14 • Mobile Practice • Rhythmic movement of feet: gait and balance • Sensory vocabulary of conditions • Street Audits • One block, repeated observations • Level of difficulty, variability of conditions • Snow clearing, treatment • Bus stop • Intersection Counts • High mobility versus low mobility

  15. Walking on Ice: Winter 2013-14 I had a micro-slip on two occasions when I encountered an invisible accumulation of slush and snow on the sidewalk. The process of the micro-slip occurred at the toe-off position, when the heal slid counterclockwise. The opposite heel that was in the stationary position involuntarily turned clockwise with the sliding heel, and my body turning nearly 90 degrees.

  16. Greying on Ice: Winter 2013-14 • Ageing, mobility and transportation disadvantage • Initial survey of travel behaviour, impact of poor sidewalk conditions • Sidewalk assessment exercise • Travel Logs • Walk Alongs • Videographic recording of walking route • Qualitative interview to seek experience of winter walking, recorded

  17. Future Research • Urban Sustainability • Planning and design for winter cities • Identification of walkable communities • Connectivity • Snow clearing and storage • Wind

  18. Thank YouQuestions

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