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5
the evaluation and development of a walkable neighborhood environment.
Particularly, the research explores the elements of a walkable environment through
the eyes of ethnic minority children in inner city Los Angeles by examining
children’s perception of the environment and how their perceived quality and
experience of the environment are correlated with the ways in which they currently
travel to school. In order to develop effective interventions for promoting safe and
active travel to school, this research further investigates individual, social milieu and
built environmental correlates of walking by examining transactions between
children, parents, and the environment. At the outset, the following section briefly
discusses the trends in school travel and possible causes that may have influenced
how children currently travel to school.
School Travel: Trends and Influences
In the U.S., how children travel to school has been transformed significantly
over the past decades. The proportion of children driven to school has increased from
14 % to nearly 48 % between 1969 and 2001, whereas those who walked or biked to
school has decreased from 42 % to 13% (McDonald, 2005a). It appears that many
children today simply do not live close enough to walk to school. Today, only 24 %
of children live within one mile of school and over half of them live more than 3
miles away from their schools (McDonald, 2005a). In analysis of longitudinal data
from the National Household Transportation Survey (NHTS), McDonald (2007)
found that increasing school commuting distance was accounted for nearly 47% of
Object Description
| Title | Walkability as 'freedom': the ecology of school journey in inner city Los Angeles neighborhoods |
| Author | Uhm, Jung A |
| Author email | uhm@usc.edu; j_uhm@hotmail.com |
| Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | planning |
| School | School of Policy, Planning, and Development |
| Date defended/completed | 2008-06-05 |
| Date submitted | 2008 |
| Restricted until | Unrestricted |
| Date published | 2008-10-17 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Banerjee, Tridib |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Irazabal, Clara Stoner, Madeleine |
| Abstract | Over the past two decades, rising concerns over childhood obesity and its health effects have brought the issue of "walkability" to the forefront in creating a child friendly environment. Particularly, the idea of promoting children walking to and from school has gained widespread support among policy makers, public health officials, civic organizations, and planners as a way to increase physical activity among children to prevent obesity. Recent policies and programs however are based on an assumption about the direct influence of the built environment on school travel mode, of which parents' values and perceptions are considered prominent in determining environmental attributes related to children walking to school.; This research proposes a conceptual framework in understanding the relationship between the environment and children's travel by adding a crucial link generally missing in current walkability research - children. By proposing the notion of walkability as freedom, this study attempts to draw attentions to children's choices and real opportunities and factors that either facilitate or prohibit children in or from actualizing what they value (walking to school as one of many). With this goal, this research explored the elements of a walkable environment through the eyes of ethnic minority children attending five elementary schools in inner city Los Angeles.; Through the triangulation of capability approach, child-centered participatory methods, and ecological perspectives, the findings demonstrate children's capacity not only to observe and understand the environment, but also to evaluate and reflect on making their neighborhood environment safer and walkable on their own terms.; This research suggests a shift in policy focus from the provision and improvement of environmental resources to the enhancement of individual freedom by increasing children's participatory capability. The results of this study advance the discussion on the relationship between active school travel and the environment by bringing children into the foreground within the spheres of ecological transaction. |
| Keyword | capability; children; inner-city neighborhood; perception; school travel; walkability |
| Geographic subject | educational facilities: Foshay Learning Center; educational facilities: Norwood Street Elementary School; educational facilities: St. Agnes Parish School; educational facilities: Vermont Avenue Elementary School; educational facilities: Lenicia B. Weemes Elementary School |
| Geographic subject (city or populated place) | Los Angeles |
| Geographic subject (state) | California |
| Coverage date | circa 2008 |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m1671 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Rights | Uhm, Jung A |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Filename | etd-Uhm-2224 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume29/etd-Uhm-2224.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 15 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 5 the evaluation and development of a walkable neighborhood environment. Particularly, the research explores the elements of a walkable environment through the eyes of ethnic minority children in inner city Los Angeles by examining children’s perception of the environment and how their perceived quality and experience of the environment are correlated with the ways in which they currently travel to school. In order to develop effective interventions for promoting safe and active travel to school, this research further investigates individual, social milieu and built environmental correlates of walking by examining transactions between children, parents, and the environment. At the outset, the following section briefly discusses the trends in school travel and possible causes that may have influenced how children currently travel to school. School Travel: Trends and Influences In the U.S., how children travel to school has been transformed significantly over the past decades. The proportion of children driven to school has increased from 14 % to nearly 48 % between 1969 and 2001, whereas those who walked or biked to school has decreased from 42 % to 13% (McDonald, 2005a). It appears that many children today simply do not live close enough to walk to school. Today, only 24 % of children live within one mile of school and over half of them live more than 3 miles away from their schools (McDonald, 2005a). In analysis of longitudinal data from the National Household Transportation Survey (NHTS), McDonald (2007) found that increasing school commuting distance was accounted for nearly 47% of |
