Shared-Sidewalks in Cyclability Assessment: The Case study of Amagasaki-Shi Evaluation of Japanese Cities from a European Perspective

Abstract

While many European cities, in the wake of the health crisis, seem to be relying more than ever on bicycles for their transition to sustainable mobility, the city of Amagasaki, like many other Japanese cities, seems to be relying on shared pavements to meet the needs of these cyclists. And while bicycle lanes or tracks appear in very small quantities on the city's development plans, the question is whether the infrastructure in place is sufficient and whether it is well adapted to cyclists and pedestrians. By utilizing unique quantitative and qualitative data created during on-field research in Amagasaki, this paper will attempt to understand the links between conditions of active mobility users, their problems as well as their causes, and then propose elements of response to the different issues identified.