Why walkability? 🌃
Walkability is commonly defined as how a built environment supports walking, through means such as pedestrian safety, proximity to necessary resources, time efficiency, social support, green space, and more. Common knowledge throws around the idea that walkability is often correlated with better health and mental health outcomes, as well as with affluence, the latter of which just undoubtedly be impacted by economic and political factors of the past. This guided our research questions: do the political and social/government movements in the 20th-21st century– specifically motorization and the rise of eco capitalism–have an effect on the development of walkability in various states, and whose voices are now seen as underrepresented in walkability? How does walkability impact individuals who live within different tiers of walkability, such as occupation, commute time, mental health, available green space, physical health, and more? We seek to explore these questions and dynamics in the U.S. as a whole, with a specific zoom-in on California (since we all go to University here)!
Moving forward, future neighborhood development is likely to incorporate walkability to create more healthy, sustainable, and connected communities, which is a leading factor in why the dataset we are analyzing was created. The US EPA Smart Growth Program developed data products to measure the environment and transit accessibility of neighborhoods across the United States. The Smart Location Database (SLD) attributes over 90 different indicators for every census block group in the United States, and the National Walkability Index (NWI) uses a simple formula to rank specific indicators that would impact whether or not an area is walkable for its residents. This information is pulled from GIS tools and US Census data to compare the relationship between residential areas and walkable destinations. Within this score, variables including pedestrian infrastructure, intersection density, and proximity to jobs within walking commute or transit access are accounted for. Walkability is ranked on a scale of 1 (poor) to 20 (excellent). This dataset can be used for a variety of reasons, but researchers would most likely apply it to analyze the environment and make predictions about the characteristics of the residents who live in walkable neighborhoods.
The literature reviews we conducted on this topic show how historical, socio-economic, and political contexts shape walkable cities by emphasizing the role of marginalized communities in advocating for livable urban environments. There is an intersection of walkability with race, income equality, and environmental justice with an example of how green spaces (Aguelovski et al. 2018) and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods often undergo gentrification, leading to commodification and displacement. In addition, scholars generally agree there seems to be a correlation between walkability and public health as having access to higher walkable environments correlates with reduced obesity rates (Wang et al. 2022), better mental health (Wood et al. 2017), and increased physical activity. Moreover, the interplay between walkability, transportation modes, and social mobility emphasizes the need for policy interventions to promote inclusive urban environments as not everyone has access to technological transportation. However, a contradiction that exists is how some studies suggest a positive correlation between walkability and higher income levels, other studies illustrate a disparity in walkability based on income and race. Thus, suggesting that the relationship between walkability and socio-economic factors may be context-dependent and further investigation is required. Our project seeks to answer these questions with an in-depth data analysis and literature review, coupled with data visualizations and maps.
Studying walkability helps us to understand the factors that make a neighborhood walkable, and how to create more sustainable environments moving forward. Our group strived to research the impact of socio-cultural identities, political and social movements, and health outcomes for individuals based on the walkability scores in the neighborhoods in which they reside. It is important to take into account the many factors that impact these scores so that we can make accurate decisions about how to move forward. We are working to analyze the relationship between walkability, socio-economic factors (both past and present), and public health in terms of walkability because we want to find out how individuals experience different walkable environments in order to help others understand how to take advantage of the benefits from it while simultaneously making walkability more accessible. Understanding the interplay between demographics and walkability not only contributes to more comprehensive approaches to urban planning but also fosters a deeper appreciation for the diverse needs and experiences of communities within cities. Ultimately, we want to help others understand the importance of walkability and its implications in designing inclusive, culturally responsive neighborhood policies that cater to the needs of all residents depending on their backgrounds.
Let’s jump right in! 🏄♀️
