Streets in Dense Urban Areas Safer Than Suburban 'Stroads,' Study Finds

A new study considers urban form, roadway characteristics, traffic collisions, and fatalities in the Philadelphia region, to show that the densest parts of regions are the safest places to drive and walk.

1 minute read

May 22, 2019, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Geno's Steaks

PhilipR / Shutterstock

"New research from the University of Pennsylvania [pdf] shows that denser cities and towns can save lives," reports Ryan Briggs.

"The four-year long study compared Pennsylvania Department of Transportation records of all car accidents in a five-county region with population data, socioeconomic factors, different road types, and other factors," explains Briggs. "The resulting analysis, which examined collision data from 2010 and 2014, showed that the densest parts of the region –– like downtown Philly or suburban town centers –– had lower accident rates than more sprawling areas."

One key distinction in the data emerges when comparing pedestrian and vehicle safety. "While denser sections of the suburbs had lower accident rates overall, drivers fared better than pedestrians. Densely populated areas in the suburbs and some outlying Philadelphia neighborhoods actually experienced higher rates of vehicle/pedestrian collisions than sparsely populated areas," according to Briggs.

As noted by Briggs, the study has implications for transportation planning in every corner of the Philadelphia region, where communities have been built across a broad spectrum of development and planning history. Erick Guerra, co-author of the study and an assistant professor of urban planning at Penn, is quoted in the article saying that the study should inform where and how the region grows in the future.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019 in PlanPhilly

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

6 hours ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

7 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

July 14 - Los Angeles Public Press