Giving parks back to people: a transportation study of New Orleans City Park with implications for improving public health |
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| Authors: | John Luciano Renne Peter Bennett |
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| Institution: | 1. Planning and Urban Studies , University of New Orleans , 2000 Lakeshore Drive, 368 Milneburg Hall, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA jrenne@uno.edu;3. Planning and Urban Studies , University of New Orleans , 2000 Lakeshore Drive, 368 Milneburg Hall, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA |
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| Abstract: | Park planning, once at the root of the profession during the nineteenth century, can again provide cities with a means to improve public health through restricting access to automobiles. This intercept study, conducted in New Orleans City Park, found that two-thirds of users support weekend street closures to automobiles. Widespread support (63%) exists even among the 72% of people who arrived by automobile. This study also found measurable stated benefits from restricting car access. For more than 53% of the sample that stated that they would walk more in a car-free zone, respondents noted that they would walk nearly 30?min more per month. These findings suggest that planners and policy-makers have a cost-effective option to improve cities and public health – taming the automobile in urban parks. |
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| Keywords: | park planning public health bicycle pedestrian street closure New Orleans urban parks |
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