Satisfaction in pedestrianized areas: What shapes positive and negative experiences?

One of the approaches to improve the livability, safety, and accessibility of cities and to make neighborhoods livable places for all their residents is implementing car-free projects. Although pedestrianization provides many benefits, public resistance is sometimes directed against these projects. Based on a database of 95 variables collected through an online survey with over 1300 respondents in Montreal, Canada, this study aims to explore differences in how people experience pedestrianization and to investigate the factors shaping these perceptions. Cluster analysis is used to identify groups with varying levels of satisfaction with pedestrianization. The key differences between these groups center on attitudes toward the cohabitation of pedestrians and two-wheeler users and the opinion on the impact of pedestrianization on individuals' mobility and travel patterns. The less satisfied group with pedestrianization includes a lower percentage of females, a higher percentage of people with limitations using public and active transportation, and a higher proportion of older people. Since cyclist-pedestrian cohabitation is the variable with the highest difference between clusters, this variable is analyzed using an interpretable ensemble learning approach to better understand people's position on pedestrianization. The results suggest that having experience in cycling, a higher frequency of cycling, an agreement that pedestrians should share the car-free streets with cyclists, and a better perception of safety on car-free streets increase the satisfaction related to the cyclists-pedestrians cohabitation. • The levels of satisfaction with pedestrianization experiences are examined. • Cohabitation of pedestrians/2-wheelers impacts the level of satisfaction. • The profiles of the less satisfied group with pedestrianization are identified. • Having experience in cycling increased the cohabitation of pedestrians/2-wheelers.