Department or Program

Environmental Studies

Abstract

Lewiston, Maine is a mid-sized city in Maine that has grown in population since the booming of the mill industry in the nineteenth century. The increase in population over the past 150 years has created a sprawling effect on the city landscape. The sprawl influences the patterns of transportation Lewiston residents experience. Sprawl can create disproportionate access to grocery stores, creating food deserts and food injustices. The people of Lewiston have historically been of a lower socioeconomic group, therefore, not every resident is able to pay for a car. Access to transportation types is dependent on a person’s wealth, abilities/disabilities, or proximity to different types (bus, car, foot, bike, train). Regardless of a person’s set positionality in a space, all people should be able to move freely to sites that are necessary for living. This research paper uses ethnographic observations from personal transportation experiences throughout Lewiston, to understand what mobility looks like in different parts of the city. To mimic routine trips locals travel, all three sample locations were located in populated neighborhoods, and the destination was a nearby grocery store. The study uses field observations with lenses of mobility justice, transportation justice, and urban planning, to see where these frameworks overlap with infrastructure in Lewiston. The experimental routes suggested that Lewiston was a car-dominated society, but city planners are currently working to expand the existing mobility regimes. The Lewiston Comprehensive plans aim to make Lewiston transportation more accessible so that people do not have to rely on cars.

Level of Access

Restricted: Campus/Bates Community Only Access

First Advisor

Jamie Haverkamp

Date of Graduation

5-2024

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Number of Pages

62

Components of Thesis

1 pdf file

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