The National Academies Press

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Pages 194-211

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From page 194... ... Of all the environmental justice issues related to implementation of transportation projects, this one may be the most difficult to address because it is hard to find a practical way of predicting the impact of projects on community cohesion. Though this issue may be viewed as primarily psychological, it is very much a part of the day-to-day experience and behavior of people. Read the entire page →
From page 195... ... Understanding the dynamics of community cohesion among protected groups requires recognition that, even among homogeneous minority groups, the level of cohesion can vary significantly. One factor in this variability may be income. Read the entire page →
From page 196... ... Block-level census data that identify areas of relative demographic homogeneity can substitute (albeit, not always very well) for primary survey data or can be used to extrapolate from information collected in the field. Read the entire page →
From page 197... ... to arrive at the best choice of alternatives for implementing public transportation projects. The methods are ranked according to the predicted level of community cohesion, the anticipated intensity of the impacts of the project on it, and the size of the community (see Table 8-1) Read the entire page →
From page 198... ... Focus groups are adequate for situations where only a few people are willing to participate or where community cohesion is so strong that the community feels that a few knowledgeable persons could represent the majority view. Because a focus group usually involves six to eight people, this method is also well suited to small communities in which cohesion is weak to moderate, and where a weak-to-moderate project impact is expected. Read the entire page →
From page 199... ... 204 Fish bowls are so named because in the initial portion of the consultation, the researcher plays a passive, observing role as the discussion takes place. Like the focus group, the fish bowl is applicable to small- and medium-size communities and in situations where a larger group of interested participants is expected to observe the discussion. Read the entire page →
From page 200... ... The predictive power of each indicator is dependent on the characteristics of the impact area, the intensity of community cohesion, and the nature of the transportation project. In general, the greater the number of predictors present, the greater the likelihood that the project will impact the community. Read the entire page →
From page 201... ... Altered spatial arrangement discourages participation, which is important to community cohesion. As a consequence, project design factors that inhibit participation in any form must be of concern. Read the entire page →
From page 202... ... Detailed Estimate travel demand (TD) between census blocks Planning phase when project may impact community cohesion and a high level of detail required High Standard travel demand modeling; census data analysis; GIS 5. Read the entire page →
From page 203... ... Focus groups are desirable when agencies are in the exploratory phase; often the information gathered can be used in later research. The most important considerations in forming focus groups are the following: • Ensure that minority populations and low-income populations are properly represented. Read the entire page →
From page 204... ... The central purpose of focus groups is to acquire a clear understanding of the general attitudes, concerns, and preferences of minority populations and low-income populations regarding a proposed transportation project. The results can be used to help assess whether the project would have a generally positive or negative effect on the well being of these populations. Read the entire page →
From page 205... ... Results and their presentation. Personal interviews are a valuable means of learning about the nature of community cohesion among protected populations in the area likely to be affected by a proposed transportation project. Read the entire page →
From page 206... ... In a sense, then, it is wise to regard the personal interviews as one critical step in the process of understanding how a project would affect the daily living space of protected populations. Method 3. Read the entire page →
From page 207... ... Travel demand models with GIS capability An important issue in estimating the effect on community cohesion of a proposed transportation project is how it would affect area residents' ability to interact. To interact, these residents must be able to move conveniently between desired origin-destination pairs. Read the entire page →
From page 208... ... In that method, traffic analysis zones (TAZs) are defined based on protected and nonprotected group criteria using census-block data. Read the entire page →
From page 209... ... Greater distances and travel times between essential activities within an area can be disruptive to community cohesion. Analysis. Read the entire page →
From page 210... ... Assessment. This is a relatively simple and low-cost method of assessing the impact of a proposed project on the accessibility of residents in a community that includes protected populations. Read the entire page →
From page 211... ... 216 REFERENCES Donnelly, Patrick G., and Theo J Majka. Read the entire page →

From page 194...

... Of all the environmental justice issues related to implementation of transportation projects, this one may be the most difficult to address because it is hard to find a practical way of predicting the impact of projects on community cohesion. Though this issue may be viewed as primarily psychological, it is very much a part of the day-to-day experience and behavior of people.