Walkability and the Built Environment: A Neighborhood- and Street-Scale Assessment of Diverse San Francisco Neighborhoods

Abstract

Physical activity can be strongly influenced by the built environment. In the early 1990s, almost three quarters of adults did not get enough physical activity to meet health recommendations (Stokols 1992). Today, physical inactivity has increasingly severe health implications. Although San Francisco was named the most 'walkable' city in the U.S., diverse neighborhoods within the city experience varying levels of walkability and capacity to safely, conveniently be active (Walkscore 2009). Four study sites within San Francisco, two of high socioeconomic status (SES) and two of low SES, were selected. Correlations between neighborhood- and street-scale walkability and SES were analyzed. It was expected that lower income areas would be less walkable and that correlations between SES and walkability would exist at the fine detailed street-level, but not the neighborhood-level. Whether or not neighborhood- and street-scale assessments present similar walkability measures was analyzed with the hypothesis that there would be some similarities. Neighborhood-scale attributes were subdivided into 5 categories: residential density, public transit, street connectivity, crime, and land use mix. Using GIS mapping techniques these were analyzed. Using the PEDS audit street-scale measures were subdivided into finer-detailed attributes (i.e. condition of sidewalk, perceived attractiveness, etc). The PEDS revealed a significant correlation between walkability and SES, while GIS did not. It was also found that the unique assessments did not produce similar walkability scores or walkscores. This highlights the need for more reliable measures of neighborhood- and street-scale walkability to approach physical inactivity.

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