Legibility vs. readability – Between transport planning and pedestrian behaviour

Abstract

Pedestrian behaviour is defined by a significant number of factors, but the readability of space is one of the key prerequisites for observation and all other pedestrian activities. The focus of the paper is on the relation between legibility and readability. By analogy space with the written text, legibility is focused on small parts and signs, while readability is based on the whole and on associations, that are emerging in our minds with possible common space usage scenarios. This paper tries to divide which urban elements affect legibility, and which one on readability for pedestrians to help transform networks in neighbourhoods between transport planning and pedestrian behaviour. Interesting areas for analysis are overlaps of pedestrian and road traffic. So, the study area is mega blocks in New Belgrade - block 23 and block 30, especially the parts of the pedestrian network. This approach starts by identifying key elements of legibility and readability and analysing how the road traffic affects the pedestrian network and supported activities in mega blocks. The methodology consists of forming evaluation criteria based on literature review and examining it in the study area through behavioural observations. After the assessment and analysis are done, the results as the elements in two groups of perception data can contribute to guidelines for redesigning the space in the function of pedestrian movement.