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37
Lund, 2003). When holding other variables constant, Black and others (2001) found
that changes in parental attitudes related to car centeredness had the most impact on
changing car use for the school journey, compared to modifying environmental
awareness or individual responsibility attitudes. In addition, parents’ perceptions
about the importance of physical activity in the lives of children were found as a
strong predictor of children’s engagement in walking or biking for the school trip
(Ziviani, Scott, & Wadley, 2004).
Parents felt that active commuting to or from school would need a
commitment on their parts, requiring energy and motivation (Ahlport et al., 2008).
When parents lack motivation for walking, they are less likely to encourage their
children to walk to school. In physical activity research, several studies have found
that children whose parents are physically active tend to be physically active as well
(e.g., Anderssen & Wold, 1992; Freedson & Evenson, 1991; Moore et al., 1991). In
this sense, parents’ own travel activity may influence how their children travel to
school. McMillan and others (2006) found that active parents increased the
likelihood that their girls would walk or bike to school.
Making traveling decision on how their children go to school, however, tends
to involve more than having positive attitudes and motivation about walking, when
parental concerns about the safety of children may overwhelm these subjective
values. Previous studies found that the safety concerns of parents (i.e., abduction,
traffic accidents, bullies, etc.) were among the strong predictors that determined the
probability of children walking to school (e.g., Ahlport et al., 2008; DiGuiseppi et
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 47 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 37 Lund, 2003). When holding other variables constant, Black and others (2001) found that changes in parental attitudes related to car centeredness had the most impact on changing car use for the school journey, compared to modifying environmental awareness or individual responsibility attitudes. In addition, parents’ perceptions about the importance of physical activity in the lives of children were found as a strong predictor of children’s engagement in walking or biking for the school trip (Ziviani, Scott, & Wadley, 2004). Parents felt that active commuting to or from school would need a commitment on their parts, requiring energy and motivation (Ahlport et al., 2008). When parents lack motivation for walking, they are less likely to encourage their children to walk to school. In physical activity research, several studies have found that children whose parents are physically active tend to be physically active as well (e.g., Anderssen & Wold, 1992; Freedson & Evenson, 1991; Moore et al., 1991). In this sense, parents’ own travel activity may influence how their children travel to school. McMillan and others (2006) found that active parents increased the likelihood that their girls would walk or bike to school. Making traveling decision on how their children go to school, however, tends to involve more than having positive attitudes and motivation about walking, when parental concerns about the safety of children may overwhelm these subjective values. Previous studies found that the safety concerns of parents (i.e., abduction, traffic accidents, bullies, etc.) were among the strong predictors that determined the probability of children walking to school (e.g., Ahlport et al., 2008; DiGuiseppi et |
