Technological advancements. Growing populations. A need to travel. With these new changes in society, walkability is often disregarded.
College campuses have remained unchanged despite people’s constant need to drive everywhere. They are built on a human scale, so cars aren’t necessary when traveling from one part of campus to another. Most campuses boast wide and plentiful sidewalks and strategically place roads to not disrupt pedestrians.
At the University of Oklahoma, walkability remains a priority for college students. But just outside of campus, the city of Norman cannot say the same.
OU student Evan Becker lives less than a mile from campus. It takes him roughly 15 minutes to walk to his classes. However, his walk isn’t as simple as it looks on paper. There are crosswalks missing in places where they should be. A stretch of sidewalk ends abruptly, forcing pedestrians such as himself to walk in the grass and mud. This can be especially harmful to people with disabilities who want the same access to sidewalks as anyone else.
“One time there was even a guy in a wheelchair that I met that literally got stuck [in the mud],” Becker said. “If I didn’t so happen to come by he may have just had to sit there until somebody helped him.”
People with disabilities can have a difficult time navigating cities as it is. Damaged sidewalks – or a lack thereof – only make it harder for them to maneuver around the same areas that able-bodied individuals wouldn’t think twice about.
Injured people deal with similar problems. OU student Rachel Dodge broke her foot in January of 2022, at the beginning of her second semester of freshman year. She explained how wearing a boot made her college experience more difficult and talked about the walkability issues she noticed on campus.
“Sometimes there’s not even an option to use a sidewalk,” Dodge said when asked for her thoughts on Norman’s sidewalks. “But when there is, there’s a lot of cracks or dips, or even a dead end.”
Walkable areas and college towns tend to go hand in hand. But when public sidewalks lack attention, it creates barriers and obstacles for residents who just want accessible walkways.
Norman is the third largest city in Oklahoma – according to the 2021 Population Estimates Program. The 2020 Census lists its population at 128,026. Typically larger cities are more walkable and better suited for pedestrians, as they put aside more money for walking trails and park upkeep.
Jason Olsen, the parks and recreation director for the city of Norman, said in an interview that his department is always looking for ways to improve trails and parks across the city.
“We have a priority list that lists all the areas where there’s not sidewalks in town,” Olsen said. “The fact is, you only have so much money every year to knock some of those projects out, depending on where [the project] ranks on that list.”
While it could always use improvements, the walkability of Norman isn’t completely unplesant. The city is home to many bike lanes, giving citizens more transportation options. Many of the sidewalks on OU’s campus are flat and wide – dedicated to student pedestrians who walk to class daily. The city of Norman boasts over 60 parks, Lake Thunderbird, and Legacy Trail – a 1.5-mile trail running through the heart of Norman. According to Olsen, the city plans to extend Legacy Trail to connect the north side of town all the way to downtown Norman.
“This trail is not only making [Norman] more walkable – but also makes it safer if you’re riding a bike, or have to go on a long walk to get from one place to another,” Olsen said. “We’re just trying to sit there and improve the quality of life overall for the residents.”
Even with the plans in place to improve certain trails, there are still several un-walkable areas in the city that need attention. Olsen suggests residents to reach out to city council members or the Public Works Department to get an area of town noticed and put on the city’s priority list. Calling the department, sending Facebook messages and writing emails are all ways residents and students can contact the city about walkability issues.
