Art by Mariah Mapa
Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
For college students, living on campus often means walking downtown, bar-hopping or finding a restaurant that’s open 24/7. In comparison to nearby cities, such as Santa Monica or Los Angeles, living in Malibu can feel like getting dropped in the middle of nowhere, especially for students without a reliable mode of transportation.
Popular European countries and American cities such as Denmark, the Netherlands, San Francisco and New York City tend to design their roads around bikes and pedestrians as opposed to car-centric architecture, according to Green City Times. This not only reduces health risks by encouraging walking as a part of daily routine and decreasing car crashes, but also reduces mental stress with a decrease in depressive symptoms, according to a study by the Malaysian Institute of Planners.
Walkable cities are beneficial for both students on campus and the local economy as a whole. Lancaster, Calif. spent $11.2 million in 2008 to recenter the city around businesses and pedestrians. The results yielded a successful “total estimated economic impact of about 280 million dollars” from increased downtown revenue, property values and new jobs that came with over 57 new businesses and cut pedestrian crashes by 75%, according to Emory Economics Review.
That being said, Malibu’s population has been rapidly declining since 2018, mainly due to destructive fires, and has decreased by over 10% since the last census in 2020, according to World Population Review.
Along with devastating natural disasters, the additional changes could be due to shifting demographics within Malibu, as up-and-coming residents from the nation as a whole are currently dealing with the financial effects of an oncoming recession, according to The World Now.
The income of younger residents who are less experienced in the workforce and dealing with elevated risk of a recession, as according to Economic Lens, may not be able to keep up with the high cost of living Malibu requires. This can price groups such as college students out of local housing, transportation, gas, food, shops and events.
Not only are those in Malibu priced out of everyday life, but the idea of navigating through the city can often bring caution and fear onto the local community. As seen in cases such as the deaths of Our Girls, including Asha Weir, Deslyn Williams, Niamh Rolston and Peyton Stewart, Malibu’s focus on Pacific Coast Highway instead of the members of its community can lead to devastating situations. Focusing on walkability is to focus on the safety of current and future Malibu residents in ways Malibu has failed to do before.
Even upon graduation, Pepperdine alumni, among other newly graduated college students, will make about $56,153 on average, according to CNBC. Considering Malibu’s average per capita income is $101,932, many may choose not to remain in Malibu due to the costs and lack of pedestrian-focused characteristics that can create an unsafe living environment.
Along with this, many cities will not shape their budgets around projects that would help improve walkability, in part due to economic risk.
“Their [commercial lenders‘] most ideal project is building the same project that already exists on the same block, because those conditions have been proven to succeed,” according to Yale Climate Connections.
Fear surrounds restructuring because the immediate costs may not generate a worthy profit, even if the profit is simply fewer car crashes or more people taking walks.
Despite these concerns, realtors have noticed an increase in demand for housing within walkable cities, according to Yale Climate Connections. In cases similar to Lancaster, the overall profit, safety and mental benefits far outweigh any initial costs.
Despite the opportunity to benefit from city restructuring in various facets of Malibu life, it’s unrealistic to expect any changes or to expect older constituents to desire any changes. Malibu’s City Council Planning Commission mostly focuses on the further development of PCH and housing alongside it, according to its Agenda Center, with very little focus on pedestrian life or accessibility to basic necessities without a car.
Even when driving along PCH, many projects in development are office spaces, housing or roads, as opposed to catering to younger potential residents by providing easier, safer ways to get around or more options for recreational activities.
Pepperdine students and incoming residents who are hoping for a more accessible city structure should contact Malibu City Council members using the city staff directory or attend an open city council meeting.
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Contact Karina Guzman via email: karina.guzman@pepperdine.edu or via Instagram: @wdymusernamealreadyexists