Legibility overview
Summary of indicator
| Indicator Name | Legibility |
| Indicator Type | Supplementary |
| User Outcome | Distinct |
Objective
To measure the legibility of a street, which is an indicator of a street network’s coherence, walkability and person's east of navigation.
Application guidance
How street orientation changes can affect road user's cognitive perception of an area. Areas of similarly oriented street grids (or lack of a coherent street grid) are more likely to be ‘districts of common character’. Street legibility is measured here as a factor of street length, connectivity and the variance in bearing.
This indicator will support practitioners to understand the street hierarchy, visual interest and coherence of a street network. Based on the outcome of the assessment, practitioners can determine whether considerations on road layout need to be made in their planning or design.
Practitioners can use the street legibility metric to measure the legibility of a street by assessing the factors of length, connectivity and straightness.
Metric
Related indicators
 | Access and Connection |
 | Comfort and Safety |
 | Character and Form |
Recommendation
- To enhance the analysis and calculation of straightness, 3D road lines can be used to help understand the impact of pedestrian and bicycle riders’ sight lines, which accounts for changes in horizontal alignment
- There are several factors that could be incorporated into a metric measuring legibility, including street grids, the size and scale of city blocks, the context of the built and natural environment, and urban design.
