U of A walkability focus group analysis - Dunbar/Spring

This analysis of walkabilty covers opinions, statements and experiential data expressed by the residents of the Dunbar Spring Neighborhood. A focus group was administered to acquire data surrounding the current status of the neighborhood, its current uses and desires for the future.

Abstract

A small group of graduate students from the University of Arizona, College of Landscape Architecture and Planning conducted a focus group attempting to answer the question of “how can Dunbar Spring, a neighborhood without traditional sidewalks, become a more walkable community?” The data collected from this focus group is important because it offers some insight on the inner workings of one of Tucson, Arizona’s historical neighborhoods, where cultural identity and quality in community still govern daily practices for healthy lifestyle living. This neighborhood is bordered by many different uses from commercial lots to medium-density urban residential housing and is nestled in the heart of downtown Tucson. Other uses of this area that are viewed as constraints and opportunities are the railroad and major thoroughfare, Interstate 10. The approach that was taken to gather this information has been completed by undergoing two tasks. The team completed a windshield survey and organized a community meeting. The results were compiled through open- forum interviewing and hand-written surveys and have surprisingly intriguing outcomes. The members of the community have decided against traditional sidewalks and standard lighting.