Visual Essays

Visual Essay Mockup: Walkability Study in Berlin by Building Health Lab

Share

City and Climate Zone

The capital of Germany, Berlin has a Continental Climate with warm summers and cold winters. It combines historic architecture, green spaces, and modern infrastructure, making it a hub for urban innovation.

Thematic Focus

Active Travel

Health and Climate Impacts

Health Impacts
Poor walkability leads to reduced physical activity, increasing risks of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. It also affects mental health by limiting access to outdoor activity and social interactions, contributing to stress and anxiety. Additionally, inadequate pedestrian infrastructure raises the likelihood of traffic accidents and injuries, while reliance on motorized transport exacerbates air pollution, worsening respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis.

Climate Impacts
Low walkability contributes to higher carbon emissions due to increased car dependency, intensifying climate change. Poorly designed urban areas with impermeable surfaces worsen the Urban Heat Island effect, raising local temperatures. The lack of walkable green spaces reduces biodiversity and natural cooling, while impervious surfaces increase stormwater runoff, leading to urban flooding and water contamination.

Reflexive Approach

This short film addressing walkability issues reflects on the relationship between urban design and the pedestrian experience. It combines objective observations with subjective storytelling, highlighting barriers such as inadequate infrastructure, poor connectivity, and safety concerns. Filmmakers critically assess their own biases and engage with diverse stakeholders, including pedestrians and urban planners, to capture inclusive perspectives. The film advocates for practical interventions to enhance walkability, improve accessibility, and promote healthier, more sustainable urban living.

Technical Description

The short film uses a digital camera to capture high-resolution footage of urban pedestrian environments, emphasizing walkability challenges like narrow sidewalks and unsafe crossings. A tripod and stabilizer ensure smooth, stable shots. Editing is done with software like Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, focusing on transitions, color grading, and audio layering, including interviews or voiceovers. The final video is exported in MP4 format for web-friendly distribution.

Team

Alvaro Valera Sosa, lead researcher
Anna Au, research assistant
Krati Agarwal, research assistant
Silvan Händeler, visual communication

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related posts

Understanding the community and social determinants in mental health inequity: the impact of mass social distancing during COVID-19, USA

The psychological impact of social distancing order during the COVID-19 pandemic can be determined by combining the effects of both individual and community capacities. This study supports the need to improve the physical environment to implement more sustainable health policies in different communities and cities across the world.

Read More »

A fresh framework for moving health knowledge into urban planning action

We took a significant step in identifying the existing gaps in knowledge translation for healthy cities and adopting a proactive approach to laying out opportunities for improvement. By developing a visual representation for a renewed conceptual framework, we provide a clear and insightful tool for planners, designers, and policymakers aiming to enhance knowledge translation processes. As a result, this study not only elevates knowledge translation as a field of study for urban professionals but also reinforces its importance in public health.

Read More »