Is walkability healthy for all? Using the National Environmental Database to examine equity in the environmental health characteristics of pedestrian-supportive neighborhoods in the U.S.
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Marginalized populations in the U.S. often live in dense urban areas, which could promote active travel and health. However, while compactness can support walkability, it can also create exposure to pollution, noise, injury risk, and urban heat islands. These exposures may be higher for marginalized groups, creating systematic "walkability-related" risks. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated relationships between walkability, health-related environmental exposures, and social vulnerability, asking: (1) How are sociodemographic groups sorted across space with respect to walkability? (2) Do the environmental health correlates of walkability vary by social vulnerability? METHODS: , pedestrian fatalities, noise, and tree coverage. We used multilevel mixed-effects regressions to predict (1) walkability as a function of vulnerability and (2) each environmental exposure as a function of the cross-tabulation between walkability and vulnerability. RESULTS: and noise levels and lower tree coverage. These differences were even more pronounced among block groups with low walkability, suggesting pervasive inequities. DISCUSSION: While marginalized groups often live in more walkable places, the "high" walkability to which they are exposed carries greater environmental risks than for privileged populations. Our findings illustrate the importance of mitigating environmental burdens that could dampen the health benefits of walkability in marginalized communities.
Source: Social Science & Medicine
Institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Language: English
Subfield: Transportation
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,800
Funder: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Awards: G1680960527, G4440038200, G5731613643
OpenAlex ID: W4409141671