115 Why Walkability? Making US Infrastructure Friendlier

Faculty Mentor: Eric Robertson (Honors College, University of Utah)

Infrastructure that heavily relies on the use of cars, wide roads, and highways plays an integral part in how cities and communities are built and operated in the United States. Even though every American uses this system, it provides a variety of issues, such as negative environmental, physical, and social impacts on society. Though this problem affects everyone, it makes it especially difficult for people who live in rural areas or people who do have limited to no access to transit, as well as other groups such as the elderly and disabled people. However, integrating walkability into cities could drastically improve this issue. Walkability is the idea that more people have on-foot access to necessary and desired services like grocery stores, clinics, bus and/or train stops, shops, or restaurants. Cities that are walkable and accessible to all are vital because they improve safety for both drivers and pedestrians, enhance the physical and mental well-being of people, and bring a sense of culture and community.

First, making cities walkable and accessible will provide pedestrians and drivers safety and security. A research paper completed by Tanishita, Masayoshi, Yuta Sekiguchi, and Daisuke Sunaga that studies road injuries reveals that “Approximately 1.3 million people suffer fatal injuries as a result of road traffic crashes every year, and approximately 20-50 million people suffer non-fatal injuries, with many incurring a disability as a result of their injury. Therefore, the severity of pedestrian accidents has been examined in several studies.”[1]. Another study relating to road infrastructure claims “Khan and Habib revealed many factors related to road infrastructure and traffic control, showing that accidents on arterial roads, sloping roads, curved roads, and roundabouts resulted in pedestrian injuries with high severity.” [2] This quote connects poorly built infrastructure to pedestrian safety.  These types of roads are personal to my driving experience. I live in a rural area with lots of wildlife, as well as bikers and runners. I must be conscious to avoid them while also paying attention to the curvy and narrow roads I drive on. There are no sidewalks or bike paths, which are dangerous to pedestrians. This also makes it difficult for drivers to avoid them. Finally, within the novel Walkable City (Tenth Anniversary Edition): How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time, author Jeff Speck provides a variety of studies on this specific issue. A group of researchers named Wesley Marshall and Norman Garrick completed a definitive study at the University of Connecticut, who “looked at more than 130,000 crashes over nine years, and were able to divide the subjects into twelve “safer” cities and twelve “less” safe cities. All told, doubling of block size corresponded with a tripling of fatalities.”[3] Speck also states that “A typical street in downtown Salt Lake City, with blocks over six hundred feet per side, holds six lanes of traffic. And six-lane streets are much more dangerous than two-lane streets.” [4] As someone who has lived in Utah for my whole life, I can agree that many block sizes are exceptionally large and difficult to cross quickly. Speed limits are also typically high in these areas, making it harder and more dangerous to cross. I feel if road infrastructure and safety were more acknowledged and prioritized, pedestrians and drivers would feel more secure and more protected.

Next, increased walkability in cities gives citizens the opportunity to build culture and community within where they live. Without walkability within areas such as neighborhoods, the opportunity for a friendlier culture and more social way of living is diminished. Studies show the relationship between walkability and physical activity, revealing that “A US study for example (Eyler, Brownson, Bacak, & Housemann, 2003) found that as many as one fifth of residents claim they never or rarely walk within their neighborhood environment.”[5]  This quote links a lack of walkability to the fact that many people do not move in their neighborhoods. Not only are people not getting the exercise they need, but it removes potential connections with others within the areas where they live. In Japan, for example, Radio Taiso, a daily three-minute calisthenics broadcast, is used by millions of Japanese citizens simultaneously to get little bits of exercise in. In The Extended Mind written by Annie Murphy Paul covers this, stating “The benefits of this activity, practiced by everyone from the youngest school children to top executives at Sony and Toyota-may go well beyond fitness and flexibility for those who take part. A substantial body of research shows that behavioral synchrony-coordinating our actions, including our physical movements, so that they are like the actions of others-primes us for what we might call cognitive synchrony: multiple people thinking together efficiently and effectively.” [6] This simple three-minute exercise brings people of all groups together in a physical and social way. Even if the United States does not have a broadcast system of the same effect, creating walkable areas in the country allows people to move together physically and connect on a more personal level, which brings a greater sense of community. A study surrounding mental health and walkability hypothesizes that “It is however arguable that walkable environments also facilitate opportunities for residents to meet, interact and engage in their neighbourhood, which can foster sense of community (Leyden, 2003, Lund, 2002, Lund, 2003) and could improve mental health outcomes. Conversely, it is also plausible that a sense of community has a favourable influence on resident’s propensity to walk within their neighbourhood.” [7] This statement reinforces the idea that walkability in cities provides the opportunity for people to come together.

Finally, walkability improves both the physical and mental health of citizens. A review article written by authors Baobeid, Koç, and Al-Ghamdi quotes that “Health studies examining physical activity cite walking and biking as measures that facilitate physical rehabilitation and mitigate modern chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and mental health and depression. (Barton et al., 2009; Johansson et al., 2011; Roe and Aspinall, 2011; Mackenback et al., 2014). Walkability and walking are closely entwined with the concepts of livability of local communities as well as sustainability and its three pillars: the economic, social, and environmental.” [8] This quote confirms that walking and biking improve physical and mental health and that walking, biking, and good transit should be implemented into cities in order to make the lives of its citizens better. The article suggests ideas for making a city walkable, stating “Therefore, to encourage walking and physical activity, the built environment must provide comfortable pedestrian sidewalks, vehicle speed limits, appropriate road crossings, and good lighting.”  [9] This quote assembles ideas of how to make cities walkable and safe, which can enhance the overall health of people using and living in cities. Again, if walkability were available to all, the wellness of all people would be boosted.

The solution to the United States’ poorly built infrastructure is to encourage and implement more walkable aspects within our cities. Walkability is proven to improve the physical and mental health of citizens because it allows pedestrians to be safe and protected, while also allowing people to get out and exercise while getting to a place they need. More importantly, it brings a community a sense of unity and culture.

Bibliography

Tanishita Masayoshi, Yuta Sekiguchi, and Daisuke Sunaga. “Impact Analysis of Road Infrastructure and Traffic Control on Severity of Pedestrian–Vehicle Crashes at Intersections and Non-Intersections Using Bias-Reduced Logistic Regression.” IATSS Research, April 6, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iatssr.2023.03.004

Jeff Speck, “” Step 5: Protect the Pedestrian.”” Essay. In Walkable City (Tenth Anniversary Edition): How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time, 165. (Picador USA, 2022.)

Lisa Wood, Lawrence D. Frank, Billie Giles-Corti. “Sense of community and its relationship with walking and neighborhood design.” Social Science and Medicine, May 2010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.01.021

(Paul, A. M. (2022). “” Thinking Within Groups””. The extended mind: The power of thinking outside the brain (p. 197). essay, Mariner Books.)

Abdulla Baobeid, Muammer Koç, Sami G. Al-Ghamdi. “Walkability and Its Relationships With Health, Sustainability, and Livability: Elements of Physical Environment and Evaluation Frameworks.” Frontiers in Built Environment, September 30, 2021.  https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2021.721218

[1] Tanishita Masayoshi, Yuta Sekiguchi, and Daisuke Sunaga. “Impact Analysis of Road Infrastructure and Traffic Control on Severity of Pedestrian–Vehicle Crashes at Intersections and Non-Intersections Using Bias-Reduced Logistic Regression.” IATSS Research, April 6, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iatssr.2023.03.004