Sustaining Walkability in the Future City: With Special Reference to Central Business District of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Colombo was founded as an outpost by Portuguese in 1505. Later it fell in the hands of Dutch and British colonial powers. This non-organically produced city later became the capital of independent Ceylon. Throughout history, this colonial structure was in constant negotiation with its indigenous communities.
Despite its historical prominence, the city's very existence is now under significant threat. The most pressing issue in modern Colombo is its severe traffic congestion, which negatively impacts the environment, economy, and overall well-being of the community. Termed as the ‘urban crisis’, this situation was once common to most developed cities from around the world. The primary cause of this crisis is the city's automobile-centric development. To address this issue, promoting 'walkability' emerges as the most viable alternative. This study aims to assess compatibility of the walkability concept within Colombo's socio-spatial structure. Location-specific walkability indicators, identified through a questionnaire survey, along with universal indicators derived from literature, were used to assess four selected case studies within Colombo’s Central Business District (CBD). This evaluation aimed to identify the prospective and retrospective aspects embedded in the city's socio-spatial structure.
Since the number of prospective aspects outweighs the retro-prospective ones – and many of the retro-prospective aspects can be transformed into prospective – walkability can be sustained in Colombo’s CBD. To achieve this, a shift in planning concepts, innovative approaches to mixed land use, and enhancements to physical attributes are essential.