Page 38 - JCAU-5-3

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Walkability evaluation of Beijing Old Town

3.1.2. Street facilities spatial distribution law is that high-grade road signs occupy
The results of street facilities analysis showed that the a high proportion in the street-scene pictures, while low-
overall facility coverage rate was high, but pedestrian signs grade road signs occupy a low proportion, indicating that
were missing at some spots, and there is a tendency that the low-grade road signs are gradually removed as they cannot
wider the road, the more street signs there are. As shown in guide the walking function.
Figure 7, according to the results of index analysis, there is 3.1.3. Street style
a relatively high proportion of cycle lanes, mainly on trunk
roads. Most of the branch roads are single carriageways, The traditional style of the street gradually decreases
and there is no clear distinction between motor vehicle from the central axis to the east and west sides (Figure 8).
lanes or bicycle lanes. Fences and green barriers are mainly Specifically, the streets with high architectural quality are
distributed on roads with higher grades and where there mainly located in Meishi Street, Qianmen East Street,
are conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles, such as Houhai Beiyan, and other adjacent historical heritage
Chang’an Avenue and other high-grade roads. East of the areas. The streets with low architectural quality are
Imperial City Root South Street between the motor road mainly located in the historical districts with narrow
and the walkway has more fences without green barriers. space, such as Yuqun Alley and other buildings that have
The fence of Qianmen Street is relatively high, which is not been repaired for a long time. It was shown that the
caused by the contradiction between tourist attractions extent of street maintenance is high, and the style control
and car demand. Street signs are used to guide pedestrians of the buffer zone of the Central Axis has a good effect.
along the street. More street signs can facilitate smooth However, management of some low-grade roads is not in
traffic flow and ensure pedestrian safety, while consistent place, and the street management by residents to improve
use of sign with attractive appeal can improve street view. the living atmosphere is less than satisfactory. The degree
From the perspective of current street sign facilities, the of preservation of traditional features is related to the

Figure 7. Analysis results of street facilities index. Source: Drawings by the authors

Figure 8. Analysis results of street style index. Source: Drawings by the authors

Volume 5 Issue 3 (2023) 7 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.1033