Traffic congestion and pollution are rapidly growing issues among urban areas, and such, the necessity to address these issues has become vital. An efficient way to reduce congestion is through alternate ways of transportation such as walking, cycling and public transport. By utilizing the more active forms of transportation; walking and/or cycling, not only will traffic congestion be reduced, but it will also have the benefit of improving the general health of the public through daily physical activities. Throughout the years there has been a focus on improving the conditions for cyclists, while pedestrians have been neglected in transportation planning. Within recent years there has been increased focus on walking as a means of transportation. Measures to improve conditions for pedestrians have primarily been prioritized by experience and public involvement rather than an objective approach.

As an alternative to the existing tools for transport planning, objective measures as the main priority for improving the conditions for pedestrians is being researched. In this context a literature study was conducted which examined six different foreign walkability indices. The six existing walkability indices mainly describe the potential for walking, with parameters such as population density and land use mix rather than including physical parameters such as parks and benches. Therefore, a new objective walkability index which includes parameters describing different physical parameters is wanted. This index covers the area within Ringgaden in Aarhus, separating the area into 35 zones of 500x500 meters.

A total of 12 parameters have been examined, five of these parameters are significant regarding the number of trips walked by pedestrians, therefore these parameters are included in the index. The five selected parameters in the walkability index are bus stops, restaurants, supermarkets, and the summarized length of the road network. A number of these parameters are negatively associated with the number of trips walked by pedestrians; however, it is unknown whether this negative association is a casual connection or by coincidence. In the making of the walkability index, a dataset containing information about the number of trips conducted by pedestrians in Aarhus C has not been accessible. Therefore, a survey has been used as a basis and validation of the walkability index which in general is misleading. As basis for the walkability index the survey consisting of 419 replies, meaning that the number of replies within each zone makes the index statistically unreliable. Due to the above mentioned challenges the composed index is assessed to be a supplement rather than an alternative to the current planning practices for pedestrians.