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20
pedestrians, although only from the aspect of physical design, have disappeared in
contemporary planning discourses (Uhm & Banerjee, Forthcoming). Its suburban
ideal, however, seems to endure as an ideal child rearing environment.
The issue of walkability, albeit not much for children, has begun to re-appear
as a response to sprawling urban growth since the early 1990s. Especially, the
emergence of new paradigms for development such as smart growth and new
urbanism has instigated the research on the role of the built environment in reducing
sprawl-induced auto traffic. By understanding travel as ‘derived’ from the demand
for activities, a considerable amount of research has been conducted to investigate
the link between the characteristics of places where planned activities happen and
travel behavior, including trip frequency, length, and mode choice (for reviews see,
Boarnet & Crane, 2001; Crane, 2000; Ewing & Cervero, 2001). Primarily focusing
on the motorized trips of adults, the theoretical foundation of travel behavior
research lies in the notion of utility maximization. By considering a transportation
choice as discrete, it assumes that individuals make rational decisions among given
alternatives in their choice set on the basis of utility (Handy, 2005). The built
environment, in this sense, is understood to play a role by influencing travel cost
(i.e., time and monetary cost), which individuals make travel decisions to minimize
their travel cost between origin and destination (Boarnet & Crane, 2001; Boarnet &
Sarmiento, 1998; Crane, 1996a, , 1996b; Crane & Crepeau, 1998).
Studies that specifically focus on non-motorized travel (i.e., walking or
biking) have also appeared with increasing frequency in the past decade. The
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 30 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 20 pedestrians, although only from the aspect of physical design, have disappeared in contemporary planning discourses (Uhm & Banerjee, Forthcoming). Its suburban ideal, however, seems to endure as an ideal child rearing environment. The issue of walkability, albeit not much for children, has begun to re-appear as a response to sprawling urban growth since the early 1990s. Especially, the emergence of new paradigms for development such as smart growth and new urbanism has instigated the research on the role of the built environment in reducing sprawl-induced auto traffic. By understanding travel as ‘derived’ from the demand for activities, a considerable amount of research has been conducted to investigate the link between the characteristics of places where planned activities happen and travel behavior, including trip frequency, length, and mode choice (for reviews see, Boarnet & Crane, 2001; Crane, 2000; Ewing & Cervero, 2001). Primarily focusing on the motorized trips of adults, the theoretical foundation of travel behavior research lies in the notion of utility maximization. By considering a transportation choice as discrete, it assumes that individuals make rational decisions among given alternatives in their choice set on the basis of utility (Handy, 2005). The built environment, in this sense, is understood to play a role by influencing travel cost (i.e., time and monetary cost), which individuals make travel decisions to minimize their travel cost between origin and destination (Boarnet & Crane, 2001; Boarnet & Sarmiento, 1998; Crane, 1996a, , 1996b; Crane & Crepeau, 1998). Studies that specifically focus on non-motorized travel (i.e., walking or biking) have also appeared with increasing frequency in the past decade. The |
