Assessing walkability and climate adaptive capacity in relation to urban morphology and historical development

Geo Journal. 2026. Vol. 91. P. 1–17.

Shartova N., Mironova E.

The historical timeline of urban development profoundly shapes the contemporary form and functionality of cities. Traditionally, cities were planned with limited consideration for the promotion of a healthy urban environment. Using Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, a city that has evolved from a medieval market town to an industrial centre and later into a multifunctional city with a significant tourism sector, as a case study, we analysed the spatial heterogeneity of the urban environment linking its historical development to modern principles of healthy and resilient cities. We implemented a four-step framework based on concepts of 15-min-city and heat vulnerability to zone the city and evaluate urban morphology, walkability, heat exposure, and adaptive capacity using open-access data. Ward-like hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis were employed to classify urban areas into spatial clusters and examine the role of different components as drivers of urban resilience. Our analysis revealed the profound influence of historical development and a natural geographic border on the division of the city into two distinct parts. The historic core, preserves the historical urban fabric, supports high resident interaction with the environment, and represents relatively high adaptive capacity. In contrast, lately developed part of the city displays greater heterogeneity of morphotypes, including high-rise residential complexes and industrial zones, but suffers from lower walkability and adaptive capacity. The analysis demonstrates that well-developed pedestrian infrastructure and high resident mobility can be substantially offset by adverse climatic factors. This study provides a scientific basis for local planners and policymakers to design urban plans that foster healthy and resilient urban environments.

Keywords: urban environment, thermal stress, urban planning, Adaptive capacity, 15-min city

Publication based on the results of: Structure and functioning of supercomplex natural-territorial systems (2025)