Abu-Lebdeh, GhassanBadrawi, Haitham Aldahri Abdulatif2022-09-072022-09-072022-0535.232-2022.11http://hdl.handle.net/11073/24091A Master of Science thesis in Civil Engineering by Haitham Aldahri Abdulatif Badrawi entitled, “A System For Rating Arterial Facilities With Respect To Pedestrian Health Promoting Features”, submitted in May 2022. Thesis advisor is Dr. Ghassan Abu-Lebdeh. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).The built environment, of which transportation systems are an integral component, is a major determinant of public health. Urban arterials, by virtue of their motorized and more sustainable nonmotorized modal functionalities and influences, act as major pathways to socio-economic vibrance and environmental and public health—but only if such targets are incorporated in the various stages of their development and operation. This research presents a system that rates arterial facilities with respect to their inclusion of pedestrian health promoting features (PHPFs). Existing literature shows that pedestrian health may be fostered through 45 physical and operational features of arterial facilities, categorized into seven pathways: air pollution, transport crashes and injuries, noise exposure, physical activity, green and blue spaces, access, and mobility independence. The relative importance of the respective features to pedestrian health was established using the Relative Importance Index (RII) based on direct input from a panel of international transport-public health experts. Based on the relative importance of the different PHPFs, a rating system is developed to assess the level to which the PHPFs are incorporated in the design and/or functionalities of the arterial facilities. The system provides a new perspective on pedestrian facilities along arterials which can guide decisions on creating new facilities or in the process of modifying existing ones. The system was applied to ten arterial facilities selected from various, mixed-use, urban areas in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), to demonstrate its applicability and use for rating arterial facilities with respect to the level of inclusion of the PHPFs. Facilities are assigned a level of inclusion of PHPFs based on the scores earned. Inclusion levels vary from “A” to “F,” with “A” assigned to facilities with very high inclusion of PHPFs, and “F,” assigned to facilities that do not include PHPFs. Levels between “A” and “F” are assigned, respectively, in proportion to the level of inclusion of PHPFs. The application of the rating system and the results demonstrate its utility to systematically rate arterial facilities with respect to public health and thus the potential to guide their development and operations towards achieving public health goals.en-USArterial FacilitiesBuilt EnvironmentHealth ImpactsPedestrian HealthRelative Importance IndexThesis