In 2019, I collaborated with colleagues from UCL Public Health and Archictecture Departments, colleagues from Universidad Tecnológica de la Habana, and the Havana Transport Authority, on a project about walking in Havana, Cuba. Among other outputs, we produced three policy briefs presenting tools to assist transport planners. The tools were created in workshops with the local community and representatives of the national and municipal planning and transport authorities of Havana. The briefs are available in English and in Spanish.
STEPS-Havana Policy Brief 1: Road/Street Network Classification
Ortegon, A., Anciaes, P., Gonzalez, A., Cazanave, J. (2019) A new road/street network classification for Havana, Cuba. STEPS-Havana Policy Brief 1. University College London.
This brief presents a new road/street network map of Havana. Each road/street is classified according to two dimensions: the importance for movement and the importance for “place” (all uses of the road that are not movement, such as people sitting or strolling). The policy brief describes how the map was produced, in a 2-day workshop. The brief also explains the importance of this type of maps for transport planning, especially in cities where car use is growing.
STEPS-Havana Policy Brief 2: Pedestrian Demand
Dhanani, A., Gonzalez, A., Ortegon, A., Cazanave, J., Anciaes, P. (2019) A new pedestrian demand model for Havana, Cuba. STEPS-Havana Policy Briefs 2 University College London.
This brief presents a map of potential demand for walking in Havana, i.e., in which parys of the city is more likely that people need to walk. The map was first created using open-source geographic information. It was assumed that more people need to walk in areas that have more residents or mixed land uses, near stations and bus stops, and in more well-connected streets. The map was then refined based on the results of a half-day workshop. This brief also discusses how actual walking levels and walking conditions match walking potential in different parts of the city.
STEPS-Havana Policy Brief 3: Street Performance
Ortegon, A., Anciaes, P., Gonzalez, A., Cazanave, J., Dhanani, A., Morris, E., Mindell, J. (2019) Street Performance Assessment in Havana, Cuba. STEPS-Havana Policy Briefs 3. University College London.
This brief identifies the factors that influence people’s satisfaction with streets, from the point of view of pedestrians. This is based on the ratings that residents gave to those factors, as they walked along a street in Havana. The brief also gives information on how to conduct this type of surveys and the importance of doing it.