Application of a built environment index for evaluation of sustainable mobility

Abstract Different studies have investigated and confirmed the influence that the dimensions that make up the built environment characteristics of a given city area have on journey patterns. This paper presents the application of the index proposed by Grieco, Portugal and Alves (2015), based on the built environment, to verify the potential of three neighborhoods in the city of Niterói, RJ (Icaraí, Santa Rosa and Região Oceânica) to stimulate sustainable journeys. In this application, the indicators composing the five dimensions of the index (Density, Design, Diversity, Distance to transit and Destination accessibility) were collected and calculated in each neighborhood. The results show that the expectations related to the characteristics of the urban environment in the analyzed areas correspond to the potential to encourage sustainable journeys. The proposed index proved feasible and apparently adaptable to local specificities. It can be a useful tool in the city planning process and in the promotion of sustainable journeys.