Role of Cognition in Pedestrian-Level Universal Mobility: Case of Central Kolkata, India

Abstract

In this research, the role of cognition in Universal Mobility at the pedestrian-level has been investigated. A stretch of approximately 850 m in the core of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (in India) has been delineated as the case area for this research. The 02 data sets considered for this research are: 1) Physical data: Pedestrian Count and Vehicular Traffic Volume, and 2) Cognitive data: Light Intensity, Noise, and Thermal Comfort. The authors collected the data from the case area in the years 2020 and 2021. This paper initially involves determining the pedestrian “Level of Service” (LOS) based on the pedestrian count. Furthermore, the authors co-relate (Pearson’s Correlation with a 95% confidence interval) the LOS data with the light intensity, sound intensity, and temperature data; to establish a relationship between them. The result of this research indicates that there is a gap in realizing the potential of walkability in the case area. The authors conclude that the improvement of cognition in pedestrian-level Universal Mobility can lead to a better physical environment for the specially-abled and elderly.