Urban Spaces Smartification: A Pathway to Improved Walkability

The use of urban streets as an element of urban life is jeopardized today, particularly In rising metropolises such as Tehran, due to the rapid rise in automobile ownership, population expansion, ineffective transit systems, poor quality urban architecture, and other challenges. On the other hand, there are various potential to efficiently drive urban growth toward sustainability in an era of digitalization, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. It implemented that the use of new urban technologies is looking for methods and incentives to encourage today's citizens to walk more. This research attempts to address the question “does smartification of urban spaces significant impact on walkability”? This paper examines the effect of smartification defined as the incorporation of digital technologies and IOT solutions on walkability in urban spaces. By analyzing design of pedestrian path with various smart initiatives, such as gamification, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, and digital solutions, this study seeks to understand how these innovations contribute to creating more walkable environments. This study used a quantitative approach to test its assumptions, and SPSS software and a questionnaire were used to examine the data that was gathered. Additionally, Friedman's test and the single population mean test (t-test) were employed to evaluate the research assumptions. The study's findings indicate that smart buildings can enhance pedestrian circulation in the studied location (Farahzadi Blvd., Shahrak Gharb). The findings suggest that smartification can significantly enhance walkability by improving safety, Social interaction, and pleasurability in user experience. Additionally, from the perspective of users, smartification has the most influence on the comfort factor that promotes walking.