Poster #71 - More than Accessibility Loss: Barrier Effect of Highways on Greenspace Use in Phoenix, AZ

• In Event: Friday Poster Reception

Abstract

Transport infrastructure can create a “barrier effect,” or community severance, that divides communities by isolating residents from essential services, facilities, and one another. This study examines the highway-induced barrier effect on parks within walking distance through spatial accessibility measures and observed visitation data. Focusing on the rapidly growing Phoenix-Mesa Urbanized Area, a desert region characterized by extensive freeway systems and limited green spaces, the study constructs an origin-destination matrix that links Census Block Groups (origins) to nearby parks (destinations). Leveraging geospatial datasets for highways and parks, the analysis distinguishes between origin-destination links that are interrupted by highways and those that are not. Mobile phone data from SafeGraph collected in 2019 is used to measure per capita visitation and travel distances are obtained via the Google Maps API and then compared between the two link types. Fixed effects regression models are employed to control for community and park characteristics. Findings show that highways increase the travel distance by an average of 315 meters and reduce per capita park visitation by 56% when routes are interrupted by highways. Notably, the reduction in visitation remains statistically significant even after controlling for the increased travel distance. By extending the barrier effect analysis beyond traditional spatial accessibility measures, this study demonstrates that spatial separation alone cannot fully capture highway barrier effects. Integrating behavioral data provides a more comprehensive understanding of highway-induced barriers. Consequently, an effective evaluation of infrastructural barriers should combine spatial and behavioral approaches to more accurately reflect the multifaceted nature of community severance.

Author

• Youngjae Won, North Carolina State University
  Presenting Author