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40
risk perceptions clearly vary according to their specific localities as well as their own
identity within larger sociocultural context (e.g., Collins & Kearns, 2001; Farver,
Ghosh, & Garcia, 2000; Mitchell et al., 2007; Woolley, Dunn, Spencer, Short, &
Rowley, 1999). In addition, children’s safety concern has been found to differ in its
types and degree of intensity from those of adults. In a study that compared parents’
perception of probable risks with children’s concerns and actual encounters, Lee and
Rowe (1994) found no correlation. For example, while parents perceived traffic
dangers as most serious threats to children and also ranked high as a probable risk,
children were most worried about being exposed to smoking, whereas less concerned
about traffic accidents. Timperio and others (2004) found that children were overall
more upbeat about their neighborhoods than their parents perceived. Conversely, in a
large scale qualitative research that interviewed children from two urban
communities marked by high rates of school and community violence, Meyer and
Astor (2002) found that the level of safety concerns reported by children, including
fear of victimization and violence, were more severe than their parents. With a
heightened sense of risk, these children expressed a high desire for getting driven to
school to make their journey safer.
While previous studies on school travel tend to weigh heavily on parents’ risk
perceptions, it is important to note that children have an intimate knowledge of place
specific activities causing safety concerns (Nayak, 2003). Urban scholars and
designers have long suggested to ‘design out’ crime and traffic risks through
revitalizing street life with enhanced natural surveillance, improving territoriality,
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 50 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 40 risk perceptions clearly vary according to their specific localities as well as their own identity within larger sociocultural context (e.g., Collins & Kearns, 2001; Farver, Ghosh, & Garcia, 2000; Mitchell et al., 2007; Woolley, Dunn, Spencer, Short, & Rowley, 1999). In addition, children’s safety concern has been found to differ in its types and degree of intensity from those of adults. In a study that compared parents’ perception of probable risks with children’s concerns and actual encounters, Lee and Rowe (1994) found no correlation. For example, while parents perceived traffic dangers as most serious threats to children and also ranked high as a probable risk, children were most worried about being exposed to smoking, whereas less concerned about traffic accidents. Timperio and others (2004) found that children were overall more upbeat about their neighborhoods than their parents perceived. Conversely, in a large scale qualitative research that interviewed children from two urban communities marked by high rates of school and community violence, Meyer and Astor (2002) found that the level of safety concerns reported by children, including fear of victimization and violence, were more severe than their parents. With a heightened sense of risk, these children expressed a high desire for getting driven to school to make their journey safer. While previous studies on school travel tend to weigh heavily on parents’ risk perceptions, it is important to note that children have an intimate knowledge of place specific activities causing safety concerns (Nayak, 2003). Urban scholars and designers have long suggested to ‘design out’ crime and traffic risks through revitalizing street life with enhanced natural surveillance, improving territoriality, |
