Table 1.
Objective measures of the community design, movement network, lot layout and public parkland requirements from the Liveable Neighbourhoods policya
| COMMUNITY DESIGN |
| Access to Neighbourhood Centres |
| ▪ Distance to the nearest neighbourhood/town centre1 |
| ▪ Centre accessible within 400 m (Yes/No)2 |
| ▪ Centre accessible within 800 m (Yes/No)2 |
| ▪ Centre accessible within 1600 m (Yes/No)2 |
| ▪ % of dwellings within 400 m of a centre3 |
| ▪ % of dwellings within 800 m of a centre3 |
| ▪ % of dwellings within 1600 m of a centre3 |
| Configuration of Neighbourhood centre accessible within 1600 m |
| ▪ Main street or big-box layout |
| Diversity of Destinations within Neighbourhood Centres |
| ▪ Number of convenience goods stores: Supermarkets; deli’s; speciality food stores(i.e., butchers, greengrocers, fishmongers); liquor stores and bottle shops; newsagents and confectionary retailers; service station shops |
| ▪ Number of retail goods stores: Fashion and apparel stores, footwear and accessories shops; jewellery stores; books, games, music, DVD/video stores; cards, souvenirs and gift stores; personal electronic and telecommunications; variety and discount stores |
| ▪ Number of general services: Hair and beauty; banks and finance; personal health (e.g., pharmacies); video/DVD rental; laundry and tailoring |
| ▪ Number of medical and health care services: Medical centres; other medical and health services (e.g., dentist, physiotherapist); |
| ▪ Number of places of worship: Churches, mosques, temples and synagogues |
| ▪ Number of community services and facilities: Community centres; day care centres/crèches; libraries |
| ▪ Number of eating and drinking out establishments: Restaurants, bars, fast food outlets, hotels, taverns, pubs, bars, nightclubs |
| ▪ Number of entertainment and amusement places: Cinemas; theatres; convert halls; museums, art galleries; gaming and gambling venues; sporting (spectator) venues |
| ▪ Destination diversity score - number of different destination types present within the centre |
| ▪ Minimum uses present within the centre (small retail or convenience store + post box + bus stop) (Yes/No) |
| Access to Public Transport |
| ▪ Distance to the nearest bus stop1 |
| ▪ Bus stop accessible within 400 m (Yes/No)2 |
| ▪ % of dwellings ≤400 m of a bus stop3 |
| ▪ Number of bus routes through the development |
| ▪ Number of bus services to/from the development |
| ▪ Bus stop accessible within 250 m walkable catchment of the centre (Yes/No) 2 |
| ▪ Number of bus services to the centre |
| ▪ Distance to the nearest train station1 |
| ▪ % of dwellings ≤800 m of a train station3 |
| ▪ % of dwellings ≤1600 m of a train station3 |
| Access to Primary Schools |
| ▪ Distance to the nearest primary school1 |
| ▪ % of dwellings ≤400 m of a primary school3 |
| ▪ % of dwellings ≤800 m of a primary school3 |
| ▪ % of dwellings ≤1600 m of a primary school3 |
| MOVEMENT NETWORK |
| Connectivity of the Street Networks |
| ▪ Connected node ratio (number of 3 + 4 way intersections ÷ number of all intersections including culs-de-sac) |
| ▪ Mean block perimeter |
| Median block perimeter |
| ▪ Block density = number of blocks ÷ constructed land area of development |
| ▪ Walkable block ratio = number of blocks ≤620 m perimeter ÷ total number of blocks |
| External Connectivity |
| ▪ Number of pedestrian-friendly access points along the development perimeter ÷ perimeter of development boundary (km) |
| Culs-de-sac Provision and Design |
| ▪ Cul-de-sac length ratio (number of culs-de-sac ≤120 m in length ÷ total number of culs-de-sac) |
| ▪ Cul-de-sac link ratio (number of culs-de-sac with a pedestrian cut through ÷ total number of culs-de-sac) |
| ▪ Cul-de-sac lot ratio (number of culs-de-sac serving ≤20 residential lots ÷ total number of culs-de-sac) |
| ▪ Percentage of residential lots on culs-de-sac (≤ / > 15 %) = number of residential lots served by a culs-de-sac ÷ total number of residential lots) |
| ▪ Culs-de-sac street % (length of all road network segments terminating in a cul-de-sac ÷ total length of all road centrelines) |
| Total footpath provision |
| ▪ Footpath length per unit area (ha) = length of all footpaths ÷ constructed land area of housing development |
| ▪ Footpath to road ratio = length of all footpaths within the development ÷ length of all roads within the development |
| Footpaths on both sides of the street? |
| ▪ % of road length with sidewalks (i.e., footpath segments that ran alongside the road) |
| ▪ Sidewalk to road ratio = length of all footpath segments alongside/adjacent to roads ÷ length of all roads |
| Footpaths within neighbourhood centre 400 m service areas |
| ▪ % of road length with sidewalks (i.e., footpath segments that ran alongside the road) |
| ▪ Sidewalk to road ratio = length of all footpaths alongside roads ÷ length of all roads |
| Footpaths within primary school 400 m service areas |
| ▪ % of road length with sidewalks (i.e., footpath segments that ran alongside the road) |
| ▪ Sidewalk to road ratio = length of all footpaths alongside roads ÷ length of all roads |
| Cycling networks |
| ▪ Cyclable roads ratio (based upon the level of stress experienced by the rider as a result of the traffic volumes and speed) = length of low + moderate stress roads (cycling friendly roads) ÷ length of all roads |
| ▪ Cycle path length per unit area (ha) = length of all designated cycle and shared paths ÷ constructed land area of housing development |
| ▪ Cycle path to road ratio = length of all footpaths ÷ length of all roads within the development |
| Streetscapes – Trees along footpaths |
| ▪ Tree density along footpaths = number of trees along footpaths (within a 5 m buffer) ÷ length (km) of footpaths within the development |
| ▪ Tree canopy cover = are of footpath shaded by tree canopy cover ÷ total footpath area within the development |
| LOT LAYOUT |
| Residential lot size |
| ▪ Mean residential lot size |
| ▪ Median residential lot size |
| ▪ Number of different lot sizes present (categories: ≤350 m2; >350 - ≤550 m2; >550 - ≤750 m2; >750 - ≤950 m2; >950 m2) |
| ▪ Residential land areas occupied by different lot sizes |
| ▪ % of lots ≤350 m2 (i.e., “small” lots for medium density housing) |
| Lots near neighbourhood centres (within 400 m service areas) |
| ▪ Mean residential lot size |
| ▪ Median residential lot size |
| ▪ Number of different lot sizes (categories) present |
| ▪ Residential land area occupied small lots (≤350 m2) |
| Housing diversity development-wide |
| ▪ Number of dwellings by type (n = 9) as a % of the total number of dwellings |
| ▪ Residential land area occupied by different (n = 9) dwelling types |
| Dwelling types near neighbourhood centres (within 400 m service areas) |
| ▪ Number of dwellings by type (n = 9) as a % of the total number of dwellings |
| ▪ Residential land area occupied by different (n = 9) dwelling types |
| Nine dwelling type categories: 1) Single detached houses; 2) Semi-detached houses; 3) Duplex unit; 4) Triplex unit; 5) Town house; 6) Terrace house; 7) Group house; 8) Villa house; and 9) Flat or apartment. Housing types 3–8 (inclusive) represent medium density housing models. The total number of different dwelling types present within each development was then identified (i.e. 1–9). |
| PUBLIC PARKLAND |
| Amount and type of parks |
| ▪ Area (ha) of all parks |
| ▪ Area (ha) of all publicly accessible school grounds |
| ▪ % provision of parks: |
| o Percentage park provision = area of all parks ÷ gross constructed land area of housing development (< / ≥ 10 %) |
| o Percentage park and school grounds provision = area of all parks + publicly accessible school grounds ÷ gross constructed land area of housing development (< / ≥ 10 %) |
| ▪ Area of local parks types as a % of the total parkland area |
| ▪ Area of neighborhood parks types as a % of the total parkland area |
| ▪ Area of district parks types as a % of the total parkland area |
| Access to parks |
| ▪ Distance to the nearest park (of any size)1 |
| ▪ Distance to the nearest local park1 |
| ▪ Distance to the nearest neighborhood park1 |
| ▪ Distance to the nearest district park1 |
| ▪ Distance to the nearest regional park (>4 ha)1 |
| ▪ % dwellings ≤400 m of any park3 |
| ▪ % dwellings ≤200 m of a local park3 |
| ▪ % dwellings ≤400 m of a small neighborhood park3 |
| ▪ % dwellings ≤400 m of a medium neighborhood park3 |
| ▪ % dwellings ≤400 m of a large neighborhood park3 |
| ▪ % dwellings ≤600 m of a district park3 |
| % dwellings ≤2.5 km of a regional-sized park (>4 ha)3 |
| ▪ Park perimeter frontage ratio = % of the park perimeter bordered by lots facing the park |
| ▪ Park perimeter roads ratio = % of the park perimeter bordered by adjacent roads |
a This is an abridged version of a Table previously published by the authors [20]
1Distance computed along the road network from all residential dwelling points (n = 31,102) to the nearest centre, bus stop, train station, primary school and parks. For each development the mean distance to each of these destinations was computed
2Deemed accessible if ≥10 % of the dwellings within a development had access to a centre within the specified distance
3Number of residential dwellings within a housing development that were within the specified distance (along the road network) as a proportion of the total number of residential dwellings within that development