Out of the Loop: Transit Deserts, Health and Well-Being in Chicago

File(s)
Date
2017Author
Becerra, Jasmin
Vriezen, Grace
Fredericks, Meg
Herron, Carly
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This project explores access to public transportation in the city of Chicago
through the Chicago Transit Authority’s light-rail train network, referred to as the
‘L’. Using this network, we investigated the correlation between areas lacking
transit access, or “transit deserts,” in relation to health and well-being throughout
the city. To identify this correlation, we identified and mapped four public health
and well-being indicators across the city: pharmacies, green space, government
assisted food programs, and public technology. These maps were compiled, and
census tracts were grouped to determine Key Underserved Areas (KUAs), which
indicated that parts of the city are lacking access to both public transportation and
well-being resources. With these findings, we were able to articulate that populations
that lacked access to public transit were also often populations lacking access to
public health and well-being indicators. These populations largely consisted of ethnic
minority and low-income Chicago residents. Lastly, we reviewed plans of CTA
improvement and development, and discussed their benefits and shortcomings, in
regards to better serving our KUAs in the city of Chicago.
Subject
Chicago
Transit deserts
Public transportation
Chicago Transit Authority
Public health
Well-being
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/78984Type
Field project
Description
Includes Photographs, Maps, Figures, Appendices, Charts and Bibliography.