The Complexities of Walking and Rolling: Using Crowdsourced Data to Understand and Analyze the Mobility Barriers Vulnerable Populations Experience as Pedestrians

Bishop, Amanda B.

The Complexities of Walking and Rolling: Using Crowdsourced Data to Understand and Analyze the Mobility Barriers Vulnerable Populations Experience as Pedestrians

dc.contributor.advisor	Fast, Victoria
dc.contributor.author	Bishop, Amanda B.
dc.contributor.committeemember	Miller, Byron
dc.contributor.committeemember	Nelson, Trisalyn
dc.contributor.committeemember	Macedo, Joseli
dc.date	2024-11
dc.date.accessioned	2024-09-06T21:02:57Z
dc.date.available	2024-09-06T21:02:57Z
dc.date.issued	2024-09-06
dc.description.abstract	Decades of vehicle dominated mobility policy has created streetscapes that endanger pedestrians. Pedestrian-vehicle collisions disproportionately impact older adults (aged 65+), with fatality rates three times higher than younger age groups. Similarly, factors such as episodic or permanent disability, and gender increase overall exposure times and collision risks. Despite this awareness, physical infrastructure and transportation policies inadequately address environmental hazards that create mobility barriers for vulnerable populations. This thesis identifies critical gaps in mobility policy, data, and street design, highlighting the inadequacies of current civic infrastructure in serving diverse populations and understanding pedestrian challenges. While policy directives often target the demographic majority, they overlook those facing the greatest risks. To address this policy mismatch, this study conducts a segment and thematic analysis of crowdsourced data to identify common barriers to pedestrian safety and accessibility. Over 3000 reports (missing amenity, incident, hazard and concerns) from WalkRollMap.org, collected between May 2021 and December 2023, were analyzed to explore demographic variability in barriers to pedestrian mobility. The segment analysis revealed common barriers, such as the need for adequate pedestrian infrastructure, as indicated by missing amenity reports. Incident reports suggested that vehicle-centric street designs create conditions where pedestrians are not visible to moving vehicles. Hazard and concern reports highlighted issues with inadequate crosswalks, poor sidewalk conditions, and motorist entitlement. The thematic analysis provided clearer demographic insights. Women and non-binary respondents identified safety concerns due to inconsiderate street users. Youth reported unsafe conditions from aggressive motorists in school zones. Older adults emphasized difficulties with unpredictable cyclist speeds and volumes. Disabled individuals expressed fear and caution regarding steep or obstructed sidewalks. The study's findings underscore the need for inclusive data collection and policy formulation processes. Achieving inclusively designed cities requires engaging directly with vulnerable populations to understand their diverse needs. By bridging this gap, cities can better support the health and active mobility of all residents.
dc.identifier.citation	Bishop, A. B. (2024). The complexities of walking and rolling: using crowdsourced data to understand and analyze the mobility barriers vulnerable populations experience as pedestrians (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/1880/119637
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Accident Analysis
dc.subject	Barriers
dc.subject	Built Environment
dc.subject	Crowdsource Data
dc.subject	Demographic Segmentation
dc.subject	Disabled Individual
dc.subject	Disabling Environment
dc.subject	Environmental Characteristics
dc.subject	Pedestrian Experience
dc.subject	Pedestrian Mobility
dc.subject	Pedestrian Safety
dc.subject	Pedestrian Accessibility
dc.subject	Representative Data
dc.subject	Urban Planning and Policy
dc.subject	Volunteered Geographic Information
dc.subject.classification	Geography
dc.subject.classification	Sociology--Transportation
dc.subject.classification	Urban and Regional Planning
dc.subject.classification	Public Health
dc.title	The Complexities of Walking and Rolling: Using Crowdsourced Data to Understand and Analyze the Mobility Barriers Vulnerable Populations Experience as Pedestrians
dc.type	master thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Geography
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Master of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.