- Title
- Stamping ground: investigating the walkability of Rhodes University students in Makhanda, South Africa
- Creator
- Padayachee, Huresha
- ThesisAdvisor
- Irvine, Philippa
- ThesisAdvisor
- Memela, Sinenhlanhla
- Subject
- Walkability
- Subject
- Rhodes University
- Subject
- Campus size South Africa Makhanda
- Subject
- Small cities South Africa Makhanda
- Subject
- College students Social conditions
- Date
- 2025-04-02
- Type
- Academic theses
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/479197
- Identifier
- vital:78269
- Description
- Walkability is an important research topic in the Global South where many people in urban settlements walk because of transport poverty. University students are a subset of the urban population in Makhanda who experience transport poverty and largely rely on walking to navigate the city. The purpose of this study is to measure and spatially analyse walkability and walking patterns in the student community of Makhanda, South Africa. This study has a specific focus on students who reside in the Rhodes University campus, Central Business District (Central), Sunnyside, and Westhill. These specific areas were chosen because, in terms of student residents, these are the most densely populated residential areas in the city, but are also the epicentre of student activity. This research intends to explore the existing walkability within these four study sites through a visual survey using common measures of walkability, digital mapping as well as student perceptions of walkability. The quantitative data collected through visual surveys, digital mapping and participatory mapping will be spatially analysed using GIS (Geographic Information Systems). Results show that walking is the main mode of transportation and students do not have affordable alternatives to walking. The Rhodes University campus is the most walkable area with Central being the second, Westhill being the third, and Sunnyside being the least walkable area. Sidewalk conditions (sidewalk presence, evenness and maintenance) and pedestrian safety and security (pedestrian crossings, crime, security features, lighting, the presence of people, and pedestrian visibility) were rated as the most important walkability factors. Additionally, the more walkable roads are mainly found within the Rhodes University campus and Sunnyside while the less walkable roads are mainly found within Central. Furthermore, the epicentre of student activity is focused on the Rhodes University campus during the week and as the week progresses, the epicentre shifts along with a shift in activity. The Rhodes University campus and Central are where students spent most of their time because the main amenities that student use are found within these areas. This research offers insights into walkability that can be directly applied to urban planning and policy-making. Planners should focus their resources on improving walkability, particularly in sidewalk conditions and pedestrian safety and security. By applying the findings of this research, planners can create more conducive, safer, and comfortable walking environments.
- Description
- Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Geography, 2025
- Format
- computer, online resource, application/pdf, 1 online resource (171 pages), pdf
- Publisher
- Rhodes University, Faculty of Science, Geography
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Padayachee, Huresha
- Rights
- Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike" License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/)
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RU Department of Geography
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | PADAYACHEE-MSC-TR25-40.pdf | 6 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |