When Walking Becomes Praying: Walking Environment Survey and Improvement for Circumambulation Paths in Lhasa, Tibet, China
Abstract
Circumambulation paths are special circle streets where road users travel not only for destinations but also for pilgrimage practices. Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in China, has many streets of this type, such as Nangkhor, Barkhor, Tsekhor, and Lingkhor. The recent sharp rise in car ownership in Lhasa has brought conflicts between drivers and pedestrians and pilgrimage practitioners. Because the situations on these streets are so unique, three customized survey methods were proposed and applied on Lingkhor Street as a case study to investigate problems of the walking environment: (a) the passing-passenger-unit method, which quantifies the right-of-way distribution between road users; (b) the quick-sketch method, which stratifies pedestrians’ needs into four levels—basic space, commute, rest, and religion; and (c) the poker game method, which identifies the most needed improvements, including limiting the vehicle right-of-way, planting trees, offering rest areas, and providing Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) coverage. From the survey results, a plan to improve the walking environment in Lhasa was proposed.
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Article first published online: January 1, 2016
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