2015 Urban Affairs Association Conference

Cycling and walking have long been viewed as transportation modes which encourage healthier, safer and more equitable urban environments. As low-cost transportation modes, cycling and walking are also frequently viewed as a mobility choice facilitating poverty alleviation. While bike-sharing programs, complete streets initiatives, and planning interventions for bicycling and walking in general are on the rise in the United States, the links between these investments and transportation inequality are relatively under-studied. This panel will highlight issues of inequality, access, and equity by responding to the following questions: How do race, class and gender influence perceptions of alternative transportation modes? How can planning practice better appreciate or even leverage differences in how communities view and participate in cycling and walking?


The Suburbanization of Central Cities – Who benefits from safe streets?
Eve Bratman, American University, School of International Service; Aaron Golub, Arizona State University, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning and School of Sustainability

Nice Ride Neighborhood: How one bike share program attempted to “retrofit equity”
Melody Hoffmann, Anoka Ramsey Community College

Whose walkability? Do standard measures of walkability used by planners account for differences in perceptions and experiences by income level?
Arlie Adkins, University of Arizona; Carrie Makarewicz, University of Colorado Denver, College of Architecture & Planning

The Visibly ‘Invisible’ Cyclist and Cumulative Irresponsibility
Do J. Lee, City University of New York, Environmental Psychology (Doctoral Student, The Graduate Center)