Mobility in urban centers: study to implement complete streets in downtown João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil

Abstract

The concept of complete streets arises from the need to transform the current urban planning model of cities, where individual motorized transportation is considered the protagonist of the public space. Nowadays, many concepts are launched that raise the question of making cities for people, that bring benefits to the urban environment and the well-being of the population, as pedestrians become the priority in planning, followed by the incentive to use sustainable transport. This paper consists of the elaboration of research about the physical-spatial aspects of downtown João Pessoa/Paraíba, aiming to obtain information about the local demands, to apply the objectives of the Complete Streets and to investigate their pertinence to the area. Spatial syntax was used to define the streets to be worked and the counting, mapping, photographing and keeping diary methods, which were compatible in the scope of the work and assisted in the more accurate survey of the flows and behaviors of the population of the neighborhood, enabling the preparation of the proposal. With the results, it was possible to perceive that there are a series of streets in downtown that need great interventions in favor of pedestrians and that the neighborhood needs actions that encourage the occupation of the empty/underused lots with mixed uses and active façades, to guarantee the movement of the place throughout the day.

Keywords:
Complete streets; Urban planning; Mobility