Suburban Streets 'Deadly' To Pedestrians In Immigrant Neighborhoods

As immigrants without cars settle in suburban neighborhoods, simply crossing the street to buy groceries is becoming a life-and-death activity.

1 minute read

April 10, 2006, 7:00 AM PDT

By David Gest


Responding to an increasing number of pedestrian fatalities in predominantly immigrant areas like Atlanta's Buford Highway, municipalities across the country are redesigning car-oriented neighborhoods to be more pedestrian-friendly. These actions coincide with efforts by health advocates and urban planners to tie neighborhood walkability to public health.

In Atlanta, "People of 37 nationalities live in a 16-square-mile area along the Buford Highway corridor." Of these, almost 12 percent do not own cars. This dynamic and the road's median-free seven lanes of traffic contributed to 34 pedestrian dealths and 305 injuries from 1996 to 2005.

Numbers like these are leading communities from Orlando to Southern California to the Washington, D.C. suburbs to change the way they plan and build roadways.

Thanks to Alex Pearlstein

Wednesday, April 5, 2006 in USA Today

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

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

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.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

View of residential street in Los Angeles with palm trees and hazy city in distance.

Rebuilding Smarter: How LA County Is Guiding Fire-Ravaged Communities Toward Resilience

Los Angeles County is leading a coordinated effort to help fire-impacted communities rebuild with resilience by providing recovery resources, promoting fire-wise design, and aligning reconstruction with broader sustainability and climate goals.

April 27 - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Entrance sign for San Jose-Santa Clara Regional wastewater treatment facility.

When Borders Blur: Regional Collaboration in Action

As regional challenges outgrow city boundaries, “When Borders Blur” explores how cross-jurisdictional collaboration can drive smarter, more resilient urban planning, sharing real-world lessons from thriving partnerships across North America.

April 27 - * A Placemaking Journal

Rendering of Penrose Roundabout in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Is Expanding its Network of Roundabouts

Roundabouts are widely shown to decrease traffic speed, reduce congestion, and improve efficiency.

April 27 - WHYY