Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3196-6922

Advisor

Walker, Jason

Committee Member

Han, Sa Min

Committee Member

Summerlin, Peter

Date of Degree

5-15-2026

Original embargo terms

Immediate Worldwide Access

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Landscape Architecture

Degree Name

Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.)

College

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Department

Department of Landscape Architecture

Abstract

Sidewalks support pedestrian mobility, public health, social community, and access to destinations, but few studies explore sidewalk connectivity in small cities. This study examines changes in sidewalk network connectivity in Starkville, Mississippi after the adoption of a sidewalk ordinance in 2009. Using ArcGIS Pro, a dataset of the city’s sidewalk network was created and used to analyze changes in the network between 2009 and 2024. Sidewalks were given connectivity ratings using a system that considered physical connections to the network as well as proximity to important destinations such as grocery stores, parks, schools, bus stops, and the city’s hospital. The results show that the sidewalk network grew from 22.74 miles in 2009 to 61.02 miles in 2024, and overall connectivity improved from 2.80 to 3.00; a fair to good change. Publicly funded sidewalk played a larger role in improving connectivity while private developments added more milage to the network.

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