University Archives

Urban environments must be supportive of people’s ability to use public spaces and public transit, towards equity and accessibility of resources (job hubs, services, and amenities). Several studies have approached urban mobility with focus on the movement of people, and there are established measure of correlation between a number of variables, such as aesthetics, vegetation, and maintenance levels, and how mobility is supported. Overall, there is a broad agreement in the field that sustainable mobility must include public and multimodal transit that recenter the street around people and not cars (Holden, Gilpin, & Banister, 2019).

The focus of this study was conducting exploratory research in the North End neighborhood in Detroit to understand how the general public move within and through the neighborhood, and what aspects of the built environment and of the transportation system correlate with patterns of higher and lower mobility. Additionally, the study also included a comparison between the current North End Framework plan documents and outcomes of engagement efforts conducted by the Detroit Collaborative Design Center, and current conditions on the ground.

Immersive and inductive methods were primarily used to provide a situated understandings regarding existing conditions and levels of mobility, understood through the level of use of place and conditions of the transportation systems. The overall intent was to uncover patterns of use and possible correlations between characteristics of the urban environment and of the transportation system, including streets, sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, bus stops, and bus routes, and the levels of mobility. Methods included: 1) mapping of the existing urban environment via ArcGIS base maps and on-site observations to validate and update information; 2) Photographic documentation of the neighborhood, with focus on sidewalks and bus stops; 3) Level of use in situ observations; and bus rides. Finally mapping and photography was used to compare proposed strategies included in the North End Framework Plan, community responses from engagement, and current conditions.

Findings were interpreted through various established models and strategies for improved urban mobility derived from the literature (e.g., Bartolini, 2020). A varied level of maintenance of the sidewalks was detected, as well as an overall low level of use with areas closer to Woodward with higher levels of use. The analysis of the bus stops, bus rides and sidewalks revealed the lack of bus shelters and security issues related to high speed of busses through the neighborhood. A DIY bench intervention was found, located at the intersection of two bus routes. This is a testimony to bottom -up self-organizing of people in the neighborhood. Finally, the mapping of outcomes from engagement and the comparison with strategies from the North End Framework Plan revealed a misalignment between the emphasis on cultural branding and commercial corridors and concerns (in particular about a new residential development) and views by the community, as well as their voiced hopes for increased programmed green spaces, including a dog park.  Results support the identification of interventions rooted in situated understandings to better support mobility and mobility justice. Additional research involving engagement with the community and an ethnographic approach is necessary to complement the data analysis with current perceptions and priorities of residents.

Bertolini, L. (2020) From “streets for traffic” to “streets for people”: can street experiments transform urban mobility? Transport Reviews, 40:6, 734-753, DOI: 10.1080/01441647.2020.1761907

Holden, E., Gilpin, G., & Banister, D. (2019). Sustainable mobility at thirty. Sustainability, 11(7), 1965.

Lofland, L. (1998). The public realm: Exploring the city’s quintessential social territory. London: Taylor and Francis.