Addressing issues in the use of Google tools for assessing pedestrian built environments

• Published in: Journal of transport geography Vol. 73; pp. 185 - 198
• Main Authors: Aghaabbasi, Mahdi, Moeinaddini, Mehdi, Shah, Muahammad Zaly, Asadi-Shekari, Zohreh
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Architecture; Built environment features; Business & economic sciences; Civil engineering; Data collection; Domaines particuliers de l’économie (santé, travail, transport...); Engineering, computing & technology; Etudes régionales & interrégionales; Google tools; Households; Ingénierie civile; Ingénierie, informatique & technologie; Pedestrian environment assessment; Regional & inter-regional studies; Sciences sociales & comportementales, psychologie; Sciences économiques & de gestion; Social & behavioral sciences, psychology; Special economic topics (health, labor, transportation...); Tourism; Transportation; Transportation economics; Urban areas; Urban environments; Walkability; World Wide Web; Google tools; Walkability; Built environment features; Pedestrian environment assessment
• ISSN: 0966-6923; 1873-1236; 1873-1236
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2018.10.004

Numerous techniques for collecting data are available to assess pedestrian built environment features. Recently, several studies favoured Google tools over conventional data collection techniques because they are more cost- and time-effective. The use of Google tools to assess pedestrian built environments remains in its early stages. Various challenges are encountered in assessing certain types of features and the intervals between the time of image/video capture and assessment. Thus, an in-depth study on the challenges of employing the Google tools is necessary. This study discusses the issues associated with the use of Google tools to assess pedestrian built environments and attempts to introduce new objectives for further tools and studies in this field to eliminate the aforementioned shortcomings of the existing tools.
•We have assessed the applicability and value of using Google tools for assessment purposes.•We have reviewed published studies that have used Google services to assess pedestrian built environments.•We have introduced new objectives for further tools and studies to eliminate the shortcomings of the existing tools.