Author
Listed:
- Jennifer Wolch
(College of Environmental Design, University of California, Berkeley, 230 Wurster Hall #1820, Berkeley, CA 94720-1820, USA)
- Josh Newell
(School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1041, USA)
- Mona Seymour
(Urban Studies Program, Loyola Marymount University, 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045-2659, USA)
- Hilary Bradbury Huang
(USC Center for Sustainable Cities, 3518 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0048, USA)
- Kim Reynolds
(School of Community and Global Health, Claremont Graduate University, 150 East 10th Street, Claremont, CA 91711, USA)
- Jennifer Mapes
(Department of Geography, University of Southern California, 3620 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0255, USA)
Abstract
Alleys are enigmatic, neglected features of the urban fabric. In this paper we explore the distribution, physical features, activity patterns, and resident perceptions of alleys in one major US city, Los Angeles, California. We do so through an integrated mixed-methods strategy involving participatory research with community-based organizations, spatial analysis, physical audits and behavioral observation of alleys, and focus groups. Results show that most alleys in Los Angeles are underutilized and walkable, quiet, and clean, although they can be, and are often perceived as, dirty and unsafe. Alley density is greatest in park-poor, low-income Latino and African-American neighborhoods. Alleys represent unrealized community assets that could be transformed by urban planners and managers into ‘green infrastructure’ to simultaneously offer multiple ecological, economic, and social benefits—including urban walkability and mobility, play space and green cover, biodiversity conservation, and urban runoff infiltration—and thereby to contribute to a more sustainable urbanism.
Suggested Citation
Jennifer Wolch & Josh Newell & Mona Seymour & Hilary Bradbury Huang & Kim Reynolds & Jennifer Mapes, 2010.
"The Forgotten and the Future: Reclaiming Back Alleys for a Sustainable City,"
Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(12), pages 2874-2896, December.
Handle:
RePEc:sae:envira:v:42:y:2010:i:12:p:2874-2896
DOI: 10.1068/a42259
Download full text from publisher
Corrections
All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:42:y:2010:i:12:p:2874-2896. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.
If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.
We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .
If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.
For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .
Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through
the various RePEc services.