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103
Especially, the maps drawn by the private school children (St. Agnes) was
significantly more likely to contain ‘open’ maps that a number of landmarks was
located sporadically along the street network with no definite boundaries than those
drawn by the public school children (p<.001, Fisher’s exact test). A possible reason
for this can be elicited from the nature of private school that students are likely to
come from further distance than those attending public school with preset attendance
area. Thus they may have a less clear sense of territorial image about school
neighborhood. However, also a high level of openness observed among the children
attending the adjacent school (Vermont) suggests that environmental or personal
factors among others might also affect how children conceptualize their
neighborhood in respect of territorial definition.
For example, a slightly more boys (88.4%) appeared to represent no clear
boundedness in the spatial image of their neighborhood than did girls (81.8%),
although difference between them was not found significant. In addition, a higher
rate of open maps was observed in those drawn by children who actively traveled to
and from school (90.7%), compared to those being driven (76.6%). The influence of
travel mode was found at the margin of statistical significance, X2 (1, N=101) =3.77,
p=.052. This suggests that automobility tends to influence children’s territorial image
probably connected by a strong sense of paths mainly for car use where either
entering into or exiting from an area is only noted with street sings or road signals.
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 113 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 103 Especially, the maps drawn by the private school children (St. Agnes) was significantly more likely to contain ‘open’ maps that a number of landmarks was located sporadically along the street network with no definite boundaries than those drawn by the public school children (p<.001, Fisher’s exact test). A possible reason for this can be elicited from the nature of private school that students are likely to come from further distance than those attending public school with preset attendance area. Thus they may have a less clear sense of territorial image about school neighborhood. However, also a high level of openness observed among the children attending the adjacent school (Vermont) suggests that environmental or personal factors among others might also affect how children conceptualize their neighborhood in respect of territorial definition. For example, a slightly more boys (88.4%) appeared to represent no clear boundedness in the spatial image of their neighborhood than did girls (81.8%), although difference between them was not found significant. In addition, a higher rate of open maps was observed in those drawn by children who actively traveled to and from school (90.7%), compared to those being driven (76.6%). The influence of travel mode was found at the margin of statistical significance, X2 (1, N=101) =3.77, p=.052. This suggests that automobility tends to influence children’s territorial image probably connected by a strong sense of paths mainly for car use where either entering into or exiting from an area is only noted with street sings or road signals. |
