Promoting active transportation for school children in dense urban neighborhoods : the case study of Ras-Beirut.

Abstract

This research provides a contribution to our current understanding of the transportation sector Beirut, Lebanon as well as builds upon notions for promoting and enhancing walking and the pedestrian walking environment. It achieves this through providing a detailed intervention, both physical and administrative, for the promotion of active transportation for school children. Hence, its scope evaluates the use and effectiveness of promoting walking in the city of Beirut through school children, all of which stemming from the question: How can the pedestrian walking environment in dense and car-dependent urban neighborhoods be enhanced and promoted? Moreover, this thesis aims to provide solutions to enhance the health, safety, and communal aspects of everyday life for city dwellers. By attempting to promote active transportation, and accordingly decrease private vehicle dependency, in Beirut, a sense of urban citizenship is instigated into the lives of the young as well as the promotion of a healthy lifestyle for the future. This thesis aims to highlight the possibility of utilizing an administrative and physical intervention on three different schools located in the vicinity of one another in the Hamra-Ras Beirut area, and as such develops the tools necessary to acquire information on different levels (i.e. mapping, interviews etc.). Moreover, this thesis attempts to set a solid framework for future research on this topic, and as such, provides tools presented for acquiring and analyzing information outside the scope of this research.