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Equity in Microscale Urban Design and Walkability: A Photographic Survey of Six Pittsburgh Streetscapes

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  • Bradley Bereitschaft

    (Department of Geography/Geology, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE 68182, USA)

Abstract

This paper explores inequity in neighborhood walkability at the micro-scale level by qualitatively examining six streetscapes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A photographic survey is used to highlight differences in the quality and design of the built environment among pairs of streetscapes with high or low social vulnerability but approximately equal quantitative Walk Scores ® . The survey revealed discernable differences in the quality and maintenance of the built environment among those in more and less disadvantaged neighborhoods. This was true of several characteristics expected to affect walkability, including enclosure, transparency, complexity, and tidiness. Streetscapes in neighborhoods with high social vulnerability exhibited less contiguous street walls, fewer windows and less transparent storefronts, less well maintained infrastructure, fewer street cafés, and overall less complexity than those in neighborhoods with low social vulnerability. Implications for planning and policy are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Bradley Bereitschaft, 2017. "Equity in Microscale Urban Design and Walkability: A Photographic Survey of Six Pittsburgh Streetscapes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-20, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:7:p:1233-:d:104568
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    3. Aura-Luciana Istrate & Vojtěch Bosák & Alexandr Nováček & Ondřej Slach, 2020. "How Attractive for Walking Are the Main Streets of a Shrinking City?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-20, July.
    4. Isabelle Soares & Claudia Yamu & Gerd Weitkamp, 2020. "The Relationship between the Spatial Configuration and the Fourth Sustainable Dimension Creativity in University Campuses: The Case Study of Zernike Campus, Groningen, The Netherlands," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-21, November.
    5. Contreras, Diana & Bhamidipati, Srirama & Wilkinson, Sean, 2023. "Social vulnerability and spatial inequality in access to healthcare facilities: The case of the Santiago Metropolitan Region (RMS), Chile," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    6. Ali Keyvanfar & M. Salim Ferwati & Arezou Shafaghat & Hasanuddin Lamit, 2018. "A Path Walkability Assessment Index Model for Evaluating and Facilitating Retail Walking Using Decision-Tree-Making (DTM) Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-33, March.
    7. Wali, Behram & Frank, Lawrence D., 2024. "Redefining walkability to capture safety: Investing in pedestrian, bike, and street level design features to make it safe to walk and bike," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    8. Joshua F. Ceñido & C. Freeman & Shahrzad Bazargan-Hejazi, 2019. "Environmental Interventions for Physical and Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities for Greater Los Angeles," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-14, June.
    9. Zhehao Zhang & Thomas Fisher & Haiming Wang, 2023. "Walk Score, Environmental Quality and Walking in a Campus Setting," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-19, March.
    10. Bradley Bereitschaft, 2023. "The changing ethno-racial profile of ‘very walkable’ urban neighbourhoods in the US (2010–2020): Are minorities under-represented?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(4), pages 638-654, March.
    11. Chien-Hao Sung & Shyue-Cherng Liaw, 2021. "Using Spatial Pattern Analysis to Explore the Relationship between Vulnerability and Resilience to Natural Hazards," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-16, May.
    12. Jingyi Dong & Jun Zhang & Xudong Yang, 2023. "How Does the Living Street Environment in the Old Urban Districts Affect Walking Behavior? A General Multi-Factor Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-14, September.
    13. Choobchian, Pooria & Mohammadi, Ali & Zou, Bo & Hair, Joseph F. & Valinejad, Mahsa & Shin, Jaeyong & Sriraj, P.S., 2024. "Calibrating walkability indicators for commute walk trips: A structural equation modeling approach," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).

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