Intersectionality of Walkability by Madelynne Nguyen

Topic: Walkability

mln003 — 2025-01-16 08:47:16 UTC

Pedestrian Safety, Livability, and Accessibility: How Walkability Affects Communities

‘Walkable’ New York City Became Deadlier for Pedestrians in 2024

mln003 — 2025-01-16 17:07:19 UTC

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/01/nyregion/walkable-new-york-city-became-deadlier-for-pedestrians-in-2024.html

New York has been facing a rise in pedestrian deaths upward since 2024, drawing concern as arguably the most walkable city in the United States. In 2014, Former Mayor Bill de Blasio initiated the "Vision Zero Action Plan" with the goal of reducing traffic fatalities after a staggering 299 people were killed in traffic the year prior. Since then, transportation experts and pedestrian safety advocates have been worried the initiative's success has grown to a halt after a nearly 18 percent surge in pedestrian deaths in 2024--especially when the 2023 figure was historically low. The proliferation of e-bikes, scooters, and more have grown beyond the scope of Vision Zero, adding to concerns. Otherwise, NYC City Officials are seeking new solutions to maintain the walkability of the city alongside traffic safety, including public education efforts and redesigning streets.

A Map That Visualizes Walkable Neighborhoods Across the US

mln003 — 2025-01-16 17:07:56 UTC

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-09-11/how-walkable-is-your-neighborhood-a-new-map-tool-offers-an-answer?srnd=phx-citylab

In 2023, Geographer Nat Henry published an interactive travel-time map to see how well-connected, accessible, and walkable neighborhoods in his city were. What started as a personal project within the bounds of his hometown of Seattle expanded nationwide, forming into an updated map now called "Close." The site allows users to explore various modes of accessible transportation (walking, biking, public transit…) across the United States with the main objective of livability. It's not just accessibility, rather, it’s this intertwined with livable factors such as walkability to grocery stores and schools that makes Close so great. Ultimately, Close's popularity reflects the high demand of the American public for walkable, livable, and accessible cities.

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Do Car-Free Zones Hurt Disabled People? Experts Explain.

mln003 — 2025-01-16 17:08:51 UTC

Nextcity.org. https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/do-car-free-zones-hurt-disabled-people-experts-explain

Despite criticisms, car-free zones, also known as walkable areas intentionally designed to prohibit cars, have served as rising accessible solution for disabled individuals. One issue that car-free zones address are cities' lack of accessibility, specifically for the disabled-community. For example, a wheelchair user describes her struggles in Miami, the so-called sixth-most walkable city, highlighting the lack of resources to accommodate her disability—forcing her to call the police for assistance. The article emphasizes the hazards of American pedestrians fatalities due to car reliance, researchers finding that pedestrian deaths among wheelchair users was 36% higher than that of the overall population. Cities such as Washington D.C. and San Francisco have seen municipal efforts to make cities more equitable such as creating scooter-share programs, free public-transit, and expanding sidewalks for accessibility.

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Article Sources

mln003 — 2025-01-16 17:43:59 UTC

Fadulu, L. (2025, January 1). “Walkable” New York City Became Deadlier for Pedestrians in 2024. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/01/nyregion/walkable-new-york-city-became-deadlier-for-pedestrians-in-2024.html

Bliss, L. (2024, September 11). How Walkable Is Your Neighborhood? A New Map Tool Offers an Answer. Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-09-11/how-walkable-is-your-neighborhood-a-new-map-tool-offers-an-answer?srnd=phx-citylab

Do Car-Free Zones Hurt Disabled People? Experts Explain. (2025, January 6). Nextcity.org. https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/do-car-free-zones-hurt-disabled-people-experts-explain

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New York City:

mln003 — 2025-01-20 03:41:12 UTC

Walkability Factor: 93/100 according to WalkScore.com.
Population Density: 8,258,035 according to census.gov.
Impacted Community Individuals: Pedestrians, cyclists, transportation experts, city officials, and Vision Zero advocates.
Planning issues:
- The rising pedestrian fatality rate in NYC despite its reputation for walkability.
- Challenges with integrating new forms of transportation (e.g., e-bikes and scooters) into existing systems.
- Maintaining traffic safety while enhancing walkability.

Reaction:

mln003 — 2025-01-20 03:52:21 UTC

I found that the cracks in New York's "walkable reputation" is interesting and concerning, especially as pedestrian deaths continue to rise. However, one of my main thoughts about the article was in a way how expected these statistics are. The density and congestion of New York City are not to be understated, and with this, comes the ultimate consequences of poor government actions to protect their citizens. This affects me in how I interpret the successes and failures of cities to plan accordingly with the safety of citizens in mind.

mln003 — 2025-01-20 03:52:45 UTC

Relevant Debates:
- Pros: New education efforts led by City administration and redesigning streets to improve pedestrian safety.
- Cons: Vision Zero’s current framework may be insufficient for addressing modern transportation challenges, such as the rise of E-vehicles.
Changes to Policy:
- Redesigning streets.
- Implementing public education campaigns.
- Potentially expanding the scope of Vision Zero to adapt to new challenges.
Current Status: Pedestrian fatalities have surged 18% since 2024. New solutions must be identified in order to mitigate these numbers.

mln003 — 2025-01-20 03:57:37 UTC

Relevant Debates:
- Pros: Offers user-friendly and comprehensive view of walkability and accessibility for cities across the U.S., potentially encouraging urban planning improvements.
- Cons: Close might oversimplify the complexity of accessibility and livability in urban cities.
Changes to Policy: Close emphasizes the importance of residents across the nation for embracement of urban planning redesigns for livability and walkability.

Seattle:

mln003 — 2025-01-20 03:58:22 UTC

Walkability Factor: 74/100 according to WalkScore.com.
Population Density: 755,078 according to census.gov.
- To be noted: Seattle is where Henry initially began Close, but it has extended nationwide.
Impacted Community Individuals: Urban planners, geographers, residents, new residents, and transportation experts.
Planning issues:
- Measuring walkability, accessibility, and livability factors (e.g., proximity to grocery stores and schools).
- Providing a user-friendly tool for public engagement in urban planning.

mln003 — 2025-01-20 05:12:18 UTC

Reaction:

mln003 — 2025-01-20 05:13:23 UTC

Nat Henry's innovative website design is incredibly interactive and his interview in the Bloomberg article was insightful to understand how significant livability is as a factor for many Americans. I was intrigued by the integration of livability factors into walkability, showing how accessibility within walkability exists beyond physical infrastructure. When researching Close, I saw how much more accessible places such as libraries and supermarkets were to me in my hometown of Corona. This tool affects me in the way I see how much more livable my city is, and the need for my city to improve in promoting their accessibility.

Miami, Washington D.C., San Francisco:

mln003 — 2025-01-20 05:18:30 UTC

Walkability Factor:
- Miami: 77/100 according to WalkScore.com.
- Washington: 98/100 according to WalkScore.com.
- SF: 89/100 according to WalkScore.com.
Population Density:
- Miami: 455, 924 according to census.gov.
- Washington: 702, 250 according to census.gov.
- SF: 808, 988 according to census.gov.
Impacted Community Individuals: Disabled individuals, pedestrians, urban planners, and advocates for accessibility.
Planning issues:
- Accessibility challenges for disabled individuals in walkable cities.
- Implementing car-free zones as a solution for equitable urban design.
- The connection between car reliance and pedestrian fatalities and higher statistics with disabled individuals.

mln003 — 2025-01-20 05:18:53 UTC

Relevant Debates:
- Pros: Car-free zones can provide safer, more accessible spaces for disabled individuals.
- Cons: Limited resources in walkable cities like Miami can exacerbate accessibility issues.
Changes to Policy:
- Initiatives include scooter-share programs.
- Free public transit.
- Expanded sidewalks for improved accessibility.
Current Status: Some cities have implemented inclusive policies, but challenges remain in ensuring equitable access in walkable areas.

Reaction:

mln003 — 2025-01-20 05:28:07 UTC

This article was very eye-opening in understanding the value of intentional urban planning and walkability to marginalized communities. The testimonies from members of the disabled community offered insight into how inaccessible even the most progressive and "walkable" cities are. As stated in the article, walkability is both about accessibility and equity. This has affected me in how I think about urban planning's effects on marginalized communities.

Comparisons/Conclusion:

mln003 — 2025-01-20 05:30:55 UTC

All three articles focus on the intersection of urban planning, accessibility, and walkability with key focuses. The New York Times piece examines pedestrian safety challenges in a major city, emphasizing the need for solutions in light of rising pedestrian fatalities. The Bloomberg article highlights the significance of livability in connection to walkability with the discussion of the "Close" interactive map. Lastly, the Nextcity.org article delves into accessibility, particularly for disabled individuals, and how car-free zones can serve as a potential solution. Across these articles, the same conclusion is met: walkability is necessary to create better, sustainable communities for all American citizens. The most illuminating piece for me was mostly the NextCity piece due to its focus on the often neglected and overlooked disabled community. This article especially showcased how certain communities can be affected by poor urban planning, encouraging future generations to improve such issues. The most thorough article was the NYT article for its abundance of statistics and various testimonies. Together, these 3 articles illustrate the complexity of urban planning, revealing how urban cities can adapt to the growing outcry for walkability by tailoring solutions most suited for their populations.

Madelynne Nguyen | USP 100

mln003 — 2025-01-20 05:39:46 UTC