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Objectives: To study cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between objectively assessed neighborhood walkability, walking difficulties, and participation in leisure activities among older people. Methods: Self-reported 2 km walking difficulty (intact, modifications, difficulties) at baseline and participating in organized group, outdoor recreation and cultural activities at baseline and follow-up were studied in community-dwelling persons (N = 848) aged 75–90. A walkability index, calculated using a geographic information system, was categorized into tertiles (lowest, middle, highest). Results: Residence in the highest walkability areas was associated with higher participation in cultural activities and lower participation in outdoor recreation, while the latter was most frequently reported by residents in the lowest walkability areas. Those reporting no difficulties were more likely than those reporting difficulties to participate in all studied activities. Residence in the middle or highest walkability areas predicted higher participation in cultural activities at follow-up. Discussion: Older persons activity profiles associate with neighborhood walkability and walking difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walkability is a critical component of built environments, yet there is still diverse conceptualization and measurement of the construct. The Walk Score® metric is one measure of walkability, which is widely used in scholarly, industry, and public domains. With increased interest in the use of Walk Score® as a research tool, it is necessary to examine the operationalization and scope of the measure. This scoping review examined how researchers utilized Walk Score® in walkability research, with specific attention to identifying limitations related to health outcomes as well as the use of the metric in non-health research contexts. Findings from the review provide a novel and critically nuanced understanding of how the assumptions and limitations of Walk Score® are addressed relative to socio-ecological aspects of walkability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study seeks to examine neighborhood characteristics, physical activity, and health status and their roles in promoting healthy cognitive aging. Methods: Using data from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Difference in Stroke (REGARDS) study (N =10,289, mean age=73.4 years), we used multilevel linear regression to examine the relationships between walkable neighborhoods (both objectively measured and subjective perceptions), walking behavior, physical activity, health status, and cognitive function. Results: Engaging in any moderate physical activity (β=0.47, p < 0.001), having better health status (β=0.02, p < 0.001), living in neighborhoods with greater street connectivity (β=0.15, p < 0.05), and positive perceptions of neighborhood traffic (p < 0.01) and parks (p < 0.05), were associated with higher cognitive function. Residence in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods (β=−0.01, p < 0.01) was negatively associated with cognitive function. Discussion: Both perceived and objective features of walkable environments may have consequences for cognitive health, and can inform the development of health promoting communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to reverse the harmful economic, social and environmental effects of car-dependent cities has intensified as evidence of its costs on health, communities, local economies, and climate change goals becomes more apparent. Part solution must be a focus on reducing the need for private car use and increasing instances of active and sustainable transportation such as walking. Walkability is the measure of how walking-friendly an area is for individuals and includes concerns such as the built environment and connectivity to key amenities and additional transport options. This study presents an autoethnography of walking in Galway. By "experiencing" the author's walk to work, it points to the lack of concern for the crucial features of walkability that would make this an attractive option for many in the city. The aim is to better inform community actors and policymakers on how to enhance urban design and planning with respect to walkability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence connecting health care expenditures with physical activity and built environment is rare. We examined how detailed urban form relates to mode specific moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and health care costs—controlling for transit access, residential choices/preferences, sociodemographic factors. We harness high resolution data for 476 participants in the Rails and Health study on health care costs, mode specific MVPA, parcel-level built environment, and neighborhood perception surveys. To account for dependencies among outcomes, structural equation modeling framework is used. A 1% increase in bike, walk, and transit-related MVPA was associated with lower health care costs by −0.28%, −0.09%, and −0.27% respectively. A one-unit increase in neighborhood walkability index correlates with a 6.48% reduction in health care costs. Indirect associations between residential choices, attitudes, and health outcomes through MVPA were also observed. The results suggest the potential to alter behaviors and lower health care costs through retrofitting neighborhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The built environment characteristics associated with walkability range from neighborhood-level urban form factors to street-level urban design factors. However, many existing walkability indices are based on neighborhoodlevel factors and lack consideration for street-level factors. Arguably, this omission is due to the lack of a scalable way to measure them. This paper uses computer vision to quantify street-level factors from street view images in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Correlation analysis shows that some streetscape factors are highly correlated with neighborhood-level factors. Binary logistic regressions indicate that the streetscape factors can significantly contribute to explaining walking mode choice and that streetscape factors can have a greater association with walking mode choice than neighborhood-level factors. A potential explanation for the result is that the image-based streetscape factors may perform as proxies for some macroscale factors while representing the pedestrian experience as seen from eye-level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We draw on theoretical insights from criminology in using the Walk Score index to analyze walkability's relationship to spatial crime patterns on Los Angeles city blocks. Results from our first set of negative binomial regression models show that walkability had an especially strong linear effect on robbery rates: a 24% increase in the robbery rate accompanied a 10-point increase in Walk Score on a block, controlling for the effects of local businesses and sociodemographic characteristics. Our second set of models reveals that walkability exerted variable nonlinear influences on spatial crime patterns. Our final set of models suggests that the walkability–crime relationship might depend on neighborhood social organization: When walkability is high, low-income blocks might experience sharp rises in rates of predatory violence as compared with more advantaged blocks. This research highlights the importance of considering the mechanisms involved in walkability's impact on the spatial distribution of individual crime types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored associations between perceived neighborhood walkability and neighborhood-based physical activity (NB-PA) and assessed possible moderation effects of the amount of time spent in the home neighborhood and individual characteristics (i.e., educational level and health-related problems). In 2016 to 2017, 509 Dutch adults, living in the South Limburg area, were included. Context-specific PA levels were measured using the Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer and the Qstarz BTQ1000XT GPS-logger. Perceived neighborhood walkability, level of education, work status, and health-related quality of life were measured with validated self-report instruments. Results showed that individuals with a lower level of education or health-related problems spent more time in the home neighborhood. The perceived neighborhood walkability only affected NB-PA for individuals spending a relatively large amount of time in their home neighborhood. PA-facilitating features in the home neighborhood, for example, aesthetics, were only associated with more NB-PA for individuals without health-related problems or with a higher level of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nature, sensory and physical characteristics of the environment tend to match; for example, a surface that looks bumpy is bumpy. In human-built environments, they often don't. Here, we report observations from people exploring if mismatch between visual and physical characteristics affected their perceived walking experience. Participants walked across four flat floors, each comprising of a visual illusion: two patterns perceived as alternating 3D "furrows and ridges," the Primrose Field illusion, and a variant of the Cafe Wall illusion as a control pattern without perceived 3D effects. Participants found all patterns intriguing to look at; some describing them as "playful" or "gentle." More than half found some of the patterns uncomfortable to walk on, aversive, affecting walking stability, and occasionally even evoking fear of falling. These experiences raise crucial research questions for the vision sciences into the impact of architectural design on well-being and walkability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interrelationships between neighborhood walkability, area disadvantage, and crime may contribute to the inconsistent associations between crime and walking. We examined associations between crime and walking, and tested for differences by neighborhood disadvantage while addressing these additional complexities. Participants (n = 6,680) from 200 neighborhoods spanning the most and least disadvantaged in Brisbane, Australia, completed a questionnaire and objective measures were generated for the individual-level 1,000-m neighborhood. Multilevel models examined associations between crime (perceived and objective) and walking (recreational and transport), and interactions tested for differences by neighborhood disadvantage. High perceived crime was associated with reduced odds of transport walking, whereas high objective crime was associated with increased odds of transport walking. Patterns did not differ by neighborhood disadvantage. In disadvantaged neighborhoods, the "negative" criminogenic attributes were insufficient to outweigh the "positive" walkability attributes, producing similar walking patterns to advantaged neighborhoods where residents were dislocated from local destinations but buffered from crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impact of disadvantaged neighborhoods and lifestyle factors on obesity among Australian adults. Design: Quantitative, longitudinal research design. Setting: Cohort. Sample: Data for this study came from a cohort of 10 734 adults (21 468 observations) who participated in the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. The participants were interviewed at baseline in 2013 and were followed up in 2017. Measures: Generalized Estimating Equation model with logistic link function was employed to examine within-person changes in obesity due to disadvantaged neighborhoods and lifestyle factors at 2-time points over a 4-year follow-up period. Results: Adults living in the most disadvantaged area were 1.22 (odds ratio [OR]: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.08-1.38) and 1.30 (OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.20-1.42) times, respectively, more prone to be overweight and obese compared with peers living at least disadvantaged area. Study results also revealed that adults who consume fruits regularly and perform high levels of physical activity were 6% (OR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.91-0.98) and 12% (OR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.85-0.92) less likely to be obese, respectively, compared to their counterparts. Current alcohol drinkers were 1.07 (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01-1.13) times more likely to be obese compared to peers not consuming alcohol. Highly psychologically distressed adults were 1.08 times (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02-1.13) more likely to be obese than their peers. Conclusion: This study contributes to the literature regarding disadvantaged neighborhoods and lifestyle factors, which have an influence on adult obesity rates and thus help health decision-makers to formulate effective obesity prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine whether aerobic physical activity mediates the association between neighborhood walkability and overweight/obesity weight status among Latino adults and whether the relative contribution of this pathway linking neighborhood walkability and aerobic activity varies by level of neighborhood social cohesion.Design: Cross-sectional.Setting: National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2015.Sample: NHIS adult Latino participants ≥18 years of age (n = 4303).Measures: Neighborhood walkability, neighborhood social cohesion, body mass index, and aerobic physical activity.Analysis: To determine whether physical activity mediates the relationship of walkability with overweight/obese weight status, a simple mediation analysis was conducted. Additionally, a moderated mediation analysis was conducted to test whether neighborhood social cohesion had a moderating effect on this relationship.Results: On average, the sample was 41 years old, 51% were male, 34% had less than a high school education, and 57% were foreign-born. Neighborhood walkability was statistically significantly related to overweight/obese weight status (standardized effect= -0.05, standard error [SE] = 0.02, P = .01). The interaction between walkability and neighborhood social cohesion on physical activity was not significant (standardized effect = 0.06, SE = 0.03, P = .09). Thus, the indirect effect of walkability on overweight/obesity weight status through physical activity was not shown to be modified by neighborhood social cohesion.Conclusion: Other neighborhood environment factors may play a role in the contribution of neighborhood walkability to overweight/obese weight status among Latinos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the role of the work environment in determining physical activity gained within and around the workplace. With most adults spending more than half of their waking day at work, the workplace is a promising venue for promoting physical activity. We used a sample of 147 employed women—median age = 53 years old; 42% meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) physical activity recommendations—wearing a GPS device and accelerometer on the hip for 7 days to assess location and physical activity at minute-level epochs. We analyzed the association between geographic information systems (GIS) measures of walkability and greenness around the workplace and the amount of physical activity gained while in the work neighborhood. Our results showed that working in high walkable environments was associated with higher levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity while at work, and with higher moderate to vigorous physical activity gained within the work neighborhood. Increasing walkability levels around workplaces can contribute to increasing physical activity of employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity (PA) tends to decline with age, but changes are influenced by individual and contextual factors. Identifying the relative contributions of each may be useful in addressing inactivity. We studied the degree to which changes in the built environment were associated with changes in PA among young women maturing from adolescence to adulthood. We followed a cohort of young women who participated in the Maryland site of the Trial of Activity of Adolescent Girls in 11th grade (ages 16-17 years) and again at ages 22 to 23. Participants wore accelerometers for 1 week in 2009 and in 2015 and answered questionnaires about their daily lives. We found that living closer to mass transit, sports, and recreational facilities was associated with more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Individual-level factors were strongly associated with MVPA as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study investigated the resilience of single-family housing values in walkable versus unwalkable neighborhoods during the economic downturn from 2008 to 2012 in Dallas, Texas.Methods: Using propensity score matching and difference in differences methods, this study established a natural experimental design to compare before-and-after value changes of single-family (SF) homes in walkable neighborhoods with unwalkable neighborhoods during the Great Recession. Two thousand seven hundred ninety-nine SF homes within 18 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts were categorized into walkable (Walk Score ≥50) and unwalkable (<50) groups. Six hundred twenty-four dwellings in walkable neighborhoods were matched with the most identical ones in the unwalkable neighborhoods by controlling for the selected structural and residential location variables. Relative average treatment effects were examined for SF values in walkable and unwalkable neighborhoods.Results: On average, the SF homes in walkable neighborhoods held $4566 (2.08%) more value than their how walkable counterparts.Conclusions: This study aims to help planners and decision-makers by documenting the unmet demand for walkable communities and their sustained economic benefit. Increased awareness of the sustained value of walkable communities can be used by lenders who finance and by policy makers who regulate placemaking. Results from this study can be integrated with research that demonstrates health-care cost savings of walkable environments to create an even more comprehensive set of evidence-based interventions to increase their supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate relations of perceived worksite neighborhood environments to total physical activity and active transportation, over and above home neighborhood built environments.Design: Observational epidemiologic study.Setting: Baltimore, Maryland-Washington, DC, and Seattle-King County, Washington metropolitan areas.Participants: One thousand eighty-five adults (mean age = 45.0 [10.2]; 46% women) recruited from 32 neighborhoods stratified by high/low neighborhood income and walkability.Measures: The Neighborhood Environment Walkability Survey assessed perceptions of worksite and home neighborhood environments. Accelerometers assessed total moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire assessed total active transportation and active transportation to and around work.Analysis: Mixed-effects regression tested relations of home and worksite neighborhood environments to each physical activity outcome, adjusted for demographics.Results: Home and worksite mixed land use and street connectivity had the most consistent positive associations with physical activity outcomes. Worksite traffic and pedestrian safety were also associated with multiple physical activity outcomes. The worksite neighborhood explained additional variance in physical activity outcomes than explained by the home neighborhood. Worksite and home neighborhood environments interacted in explaining active transportation to work, with the greatest impacts occurring when both neighborhoods were activity supportive.Conclusion: Both worksite and home neighborhood environments were independently related to total MVPA and active transportation. Community design policies should target improving the physical activity supportiveness of worksite neighborhood environments and integrating commercial and residential development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: While physical inactivity can contribute to chronic diseases, regular activity like walking can help prevent them. In 2010, one in three adults in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) was physically inactive, higher than most U.S. states and territories. There are few walkable destinations and sidewalks along streets in the USVI. Since community- and street-scale design features can influence walking, we convened a 3-day walkability institute in the USVI to (1) learn about physical activity and best practices for design and (2) develop public health infrastructure that supports implementation. Island teams were formed to develop and implement a territory-wide action plan, focused on passing a Complete Streets policy, and demonstration projects on the islands of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas to advance and pass this policy. An example of the demonstration projects and their significance is the completed one in St. Croix, which is the focus of this article. Methods: Island teams applied critical components of functioning program infrastructure as described in the Component Model of Infrastructure (CMI) such as engaged data, multilevel leadership, responsive plans and planning, and networked partnerships. We evaluated whether a crosswalk installation in St. Croix could alter driver and pedestrian behavior and create a safer environment for pedestrians. Observers recorded pedestrian crossing time, driver speed, and other behaviors before and after crosswalk installation. Results: Pedestrians took significantly fewer average seconds to cross the street in the postdemonstration period (9.83) compared with predemonstration (13.4) (p =.03). Average car speed declined between the predemonstration (24.3) and long-term demonstration periods (p <.01) and from the postdemonstration (24.7) to the long-term demonstration period (18.2) (p <.01). A greater percentage of pedestrians used the crosswalk to cross the street between the postdemonstration (12.5%) and long-term demonstration periods (53.7%) (p <.01). Implications: The demonstration project in St. Croix shows that improvements to built environment infrastructure can increase safety for pedestrians, thus improving walkability in the USVI. We discuss the importance of CMI elements observed in the success of the St. Croix demonstration and its effectiveness in promoting a Complete Streets policy and the lack of these elements on St. John hindering progress there. Public health practitioners can apply the CMI to future physical activity promotion projects in the USVI and other settings as having functioning program infrastructure helps overcome challenges including natural disasters and a global pandemic and can achieve progress toward sustained policy and systems change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the walkability/bikeability of college campuses and students' body mass index (BMI) with student physical activity (PA) attitudes and behaviors as potential mediators.Design: Cross-sectional.Setting: Thirteen university campuses.Participants: A total of 1384 student participants.Measures: Walkability/bikeability environmental score (ES): 12-item audit assessed an average of 44 path segments per campus. Students were measured for height and weight and completed online surveys. Physical activity stage of change/behavior intentions were assessed using the transtheoretical model. The Cognitive Behavioral Physical Activity Questionnaire assessed outcome expectations, self-regulation, and personal barriers. International Physical Activity Questionnaire assessed walking-, moderate-, and vigorous-intensity PA.Analysis: Descriptive statistics, zero-order correlations, and path analysis with maximum likelihood estimation.Results: The overall model fit was good with χ2 of 171.388 ( df = 18), P < .001, comparative fit index value of .95, and a root mean square of approximation of .079. After controlling for gender, there was a direct negative association between walkability/bikeability ES and BMI (β = -.085) and positive association between personal barriers and BMI (β = .134). Walkability/bikeability ES was positively associated with walking-intensity PA (β = .010). Self-regulation was positively associated with moderate-intensity PA (β = .213), which, in turn, was negatively associated with BMI (β = -.057).Conclusions: The ease of walking and biking on a campus was related to college students' walking behavior and their BMI. Students' PA behavioral intentions were associated with moderate PA and lower BMI. These results provide evidence to focus on policies and structural supports for walkable/bikeable environments to supplement and enhance interventions encouraging individual behavior change for PA and weight management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing numbers of studies on planning walkable neighborhoods, few have included people with diverse abilities across the age spectrum. This article demonstrates a need for more inclusion of human diversity in walkable neighborhoods research to better inform policy, planning, and design interventions that are spatially and socially just for all ages and all abilities. Our study addresses this through a critical review of the literature, highlighting existing research practices, known person–environment influences on walkability, and limitations within current knowledge. We recommend future integrated and inclusive research directions to encapsulate diversity of abilities and ages in walkable neighborhood studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing literature has indicated a relationship between social capital and certain aspects of the built environment with contributions from various disciplines, including environmental psychology, urban design, and health geography. In this systematic review and research synthesis, we summarize the literature in this domain using existing sociological and design frameworks to ascertain the effect of specific built environment domains on social capital. Our review shows that there is a significant relationship between social capital and the built environment, specifically between social cohesion and access to destinations/walkability. Positive relationships exist between social capital, design, and diversity, whereas the effect of population density on social capital is negative and unclear. We find significant methodological limitations and gaps in the published literature, including the absence of longitudinal studies and the use of a plethora of social capital and built environment measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report is organized around a set of topics that have dominated much of the recent literature in health geography: the importance of neighbourhoods, green spaces/blue spaces, density, walkability, and vulnerable populations. These topics are discussed in terms of the need to shift to new ideas and to avoid creating new determinisms in health geography. A second critical argument to the report is that health geographers also need to focus more of their efforts on those who are truly in need and have the fewest resources to effect change to their health and their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing evidence that communities can be designed to support physical activity, but it is important to understand whether neighborhood features related to health are also considered satisfactory by residents. The study aimed to determine if there is an association between perceived and objective neighborhood environment variables and neighborhood satisfaction. Adults (N = 1,726) were recruited from neighborhoods in two regions of the United States selected to vary on walkability and income. Perceived neighborhood environment was assessed using a validated scale, objective measures were constructed using geographic information system (GIS), and satisfaction was assessed using a 17-item survey. Participants reported greater satisfaction when they perceived their neighborhood as having greater pedestrian/traffic safety, crime safety, attractive aesthetics, access to destinations, diversity of destinations, park access, and lower residential density. Objective measures were not significant. The discrepant findings between perceived and objective environmental measures indicate that neighborhood satisfaction is a complex construct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the impact of the running environment on perceived satisfaction, restoration, and running participation based on a questionnaire distributed to 1,581 novice runners. The most frequently experienced impediments on running routes are poor lighting, unleashed dogs, and encounters with cyclists and cars. Regression analyses reveal that attractiveness and restorativeness are positively associated with the quality of the running surface and running in parks or outside towns and negatively by running on public roads in town, by running in larger cities (>250,000 inhabitants), and by other road users. However, attractiveness and restorativeness of running routes play only a minor role in the decision of how frequently to run. Practical considerations (proximity, threats) appear to have a larger impact on running frequency. Importantly, the most frequently mentioned impediments (poor lighting, cars, unleashed dogs) do not affect running frequency, whereas infrequent impediments (threats by other people) significantly affect running frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits of physical activity to health and obesity prevention are well established. However, attributes of the built environment influence participation in physical activity. The purpose of this study is to assess differences in perceptions of neighborhood walkability across demographic characteristics and social environment factors among rural residents. In a telephone survey, adult respondents (N = 448) across nine rural counties in a southeastern state answered questions about perceived neighborhood walkability, demographic characteristics, and their neighborhood social environment. Study recruitment for a convenience sample occurred through collaborations with local community organizations. Prevalence of destinations and barriers were estimated according to demographic and neighborhood social environment characteristics. Multiple logistic regression models assessed the association of demographic and neighborhood social environment characteristics with neighborhood walkability and calculated adjusted prevalence. Relaxing places to walk were the most often reported destinations (62.0%), followed by retail destinations (45.7%), and communal destinations (42.6%). Traffic was the most reported barrier to safe walking (40.4%), followed by animals (37.5%), and crime (30.5%). Perceptions of retail and communal destinations varied by age and race. Perceptions of traffic and crime as barriers varied by race, weight status, and income. Community belonging and social cohesion were associated with lower perceptions of barriers. Study findings present demographic characteristics and social environment attributes as key factors that shape perceived neighborhood walkability. Findings can help inform programmatic efforts and environmental change strategies to improve walking in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined how important walking to amenities (e.g., food store, park) is to middle-aged and older adults and whether this relates to walking. The relationship between walking to amenities and overall activity level was also explored. Method: The study was based on interviews conducted with 778 individuals aged 45 to 94 years. Overall activity level was measured objectively using pedometers. Results: A large proportion of participants did not think it was very important to have amenities within walking distance, and the majority of participants drove to get there, even among individuals who reported it was very important to have the amenities within walking distance. Self-reported walking to certain amenities (e.g., park) was associated with overall activity. Discussion: The study underscores the impact of a car culture where the tendency to drive is paramount. It suggests the need to promote the importance of walking as part of an active, healthy lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author views on advancing translation and dissemination research and practice through the physical activity. The author views that the persistence of health disparities in physical activity need for more work on translation, dissemination, and implementation research. The author also views that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created the Physical Activity Policy Research Network in October 2004.

The association between the built environment (BE) and walking has been studied extensively in urban areas, yet little is known whether the same associations hold for smaller, rural towns. This analysis examined objective measures of the BE around participants’ residence and their utilitarian and recreational walking from two studies, one in the urban Seattle area (n = 464) and the other in nine small U.S. towns (n = 299). After adjusting for sociodemographics, small town residents walked less for utilitarian purposes but more for recreational purposes. These differences were largely explained by differential associations of the BE on walking in the two settings. In Seattle, the number of neighborhood restaurants was positively associated with utilitarian walking, but in small towns, the association was negative. In small towns, perception of slow traffic on nearby streets was positively associated with recreational walking, but not in Seattle. These observations suggest that urban–rural context matters when planning BE interventions to support walking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the relevant geography is an ongoing obstacle to effectively evaluating the influence of neighborhood built environment on physical activity. We characterized density and diversity of destinations that 77 older adults experienced within individually representative Global Positioning System (GPS) activity spaces and traditional residential buffers and assessed their associations with accelerometry-measured physical activity. Traditional residential buffers had lower destination density and diversity than activity spaces. Activity spaces based only on pedestrian and bicycling trips had higher destination densities than all-mode activity spaces. Regardless of neighborhood definition, adjusted associations between destinations and physical activity generally failed to reach statistical significance. However, within pedestrian and bicycling-based activity spaces, each additional destination type was associated with 243.3 more steps/day (95% confidence interval (CI) [36.0, 450.7]). Traditional buffers may not accurately portray the geographic space or neighborhood resources experienced by older adults. Pedestrian and bicycling activity spaces elucidate the importance of destinations for facilitating active transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neighborhood influences on walking are well recognized, yet less is known about how the environment impacts sedentary behaviors. This study used a social-ecological model to examine the correlates of sitting time, independent of walking behavior. Objective built environment measures and self-reported community participation were examined for associations with sitting time for 1,179 residents in Perth, Western Australia. Neighborhood built environment and social factors were significantly associated with women’s sitting time only. In particular, the presence of community infrastructure was negatively associated with women’s weekday sitting (relative reduction = 0.951; p = .037), but statistical significance weakened after accounting for community participation (relative reduction = 0.951; p = .057). Community participation was independently associated with both women’s weekday and weekend sitting (both p < .001). More walkable neighborhoods may help limit women’s sitting time by providing better access to community infrastructure, as local venues may afford additional opportunities for social interaction and participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this study is to analyze the influence of several environmental factors (temperature, precipitation, mode and duration of school transport, perception of physical activity [PA] opportunities, and perceived neighborhood walkability) on adolescent’s daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels of two European mid-sized cities. Data were collected from a sample of 829 adolescents (49.7% Spanish; 55.2% females; 14.33 ± 0.73 years). Daily meteorological data were collected for the valid days for each subject and MVPA levels were assessed with Actigraph GT3X accelerometer during seven consecutive days. Data were analyzed using multilevel modeling. Warmer weather (p < .01), lower levels of precipitation (p < .05), and use of active school transport (p < .05) were significantly associated with higher MVPA levels. Environmental neighborhood perception did not show significant influence. Further efforts should be carried out to increase PA opportunities during colder periods, rainy days, and to promote the use of active transport [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we examine the spatial practices and lived experiences of an understudied subgroup, observant Muslim women of Arab descent, to explore the extent to which they experience representation and inclusion in the context of Brooklyn, New York. In an attempt to provide a more in-depth understanding of space, we utilize a phenomenological approach in which gender is central. We conceptualize our analysis based on Lefebvre's spatial triad. The narratives of the women in this study elucidate how they interpret and navigate publicly accessible urban spaces as women marked by both ethnicity and religious difference in a multicultural city such as New York. Our study finds that the physical accessibility of public spaces, the aspect that planners tend to emphasize, matters for the observant Muslim women in this study both in ways with which planners are familiar and in other ways. The main aspects of physical accessibility that facilitated their sense of inclusion and engagement in Bay Ridge public spaces are the ease of getting around, often called 'walkability' in planning circles, the extent of access to mass transit, and the types of destinations in the area. Streetlights and the openness of public spaces were also critical to participants' lived experiences, as was the presence of a number of women wearing the Islamic headscarf. The latter enabled participants to become active actors in space because they marked a place as culturally, religiously, and socially appropriate for them. Participants' lived experiences (representational space) in turn shaped and were shaped by the characteristics of physical space. For example, well-lit open spaces enabled their spatial engagement because this made them visible to the community and at the same time allowed them to see the community. For immigrant women the Arabic landscape of the neighborhood marked by the Arabic signage, the Arabic language being spoken, and women wearing the Islamic headscarf provided them an opportunity to communicate with other women who share their cultural and religious values (spatial practice), and thereby to experience a safe space of normalcy (representational space). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the influence of neighborhood built form on sense of community in Perth, Western Australia. It was hypothesized that sense of community would be stronger in individuals living in pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. Multivariate linear regression models explored associations between walking and sense of community, with progressive adjustment for objective and perceived neighborhood characteristics. Sense of community was positively associated with walking for transport and positive perceptions of neighborhood quality, and negatively associated with residential density. The findings highlight the influence of local area perceptions on sense of community that appeared to be more important than objective environment characteristics. However, the latter may influence perceptions, and this requires investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose. To examine if adults and adolescents living in the same high- and low-walkable neighborhoods have different environmental perceptions and if this is reflected in distinct associations between environmental perceptions and active transportation. Design. Cross-sectional study with observational design. Setting. In Ghent, 24 neighborhoods were selected, stratified on objectively assessed walkability, and matched on neighborhood income. This resulted in four walkability/income quadrants, each consisting of six neighborhoods. Subjects. Living in the 24 neighborhoods were 1166 adults (20-65 years, 52.1 % women) and 477 adolescents 13-15 years, 49.7% girls). Measures. All participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the International (adults) or Flemish (adclescents) Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Neigldjorhood Environmental Walkability Scale. Analysis. Multilevel (two-level: participant-neighborhood) moderated regression models, using MLwiN 2.23. Results. Both adults and adolescents living in objectively high-walkable neighborhoods perceived their environment as more activity friendly than their loio-walkable neighborhoods cmmlerparts (11 out of 13 main effects walkability: p < .05). However, perceived residential density (p < .05), land use mix (p < . 01), safety for cycling (p < . 05), and perceived walkability (p < . 001) loere associated with active transportation only in adults. Conclusion. Different environmental intervention strategies are probably needed to increase active transportation in Belgian adults and adolescents living in the same neighborhoods. In adults, changing objective or perceived environmental characteristics might be effective, whereas in adolescents, the current environmental focus should be changed towards multidimensional research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to investigate associations between features of the physical environment and neighborliness. Measures of the physical environment, including sidewalks, front porches, traffic-calming devices, bars on windows, and the presence of litter or graffiti, were collected using a systematic audit instrument in 10 neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon. Generalized linear regression models were created to model the odds of increasing neighborliness given access to the physical-environment factors of interest. The authors observed a greater probability of higher levels of neighborliness as the total number of positive physical-environment characteristics increased (cumulative odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.69 [1.16, 2.45]) and the results were unchanged after controlling for race, self-reported health, perception of safety, years of neighborhood residence, age of house, market value of house, and proportion of homeowners in neighborhood. Modifiable features of the physical environment may be one mechanism through which people can enhance neighborliness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Transit-oriented developments are touted as providing a variety of social benefits, but personal benefits to residents are underresearched. The authors surveyed 51 residents before and after a new light rail stop was constructed in their revitalizing Salt Lake City neighborhood. Residents anticipated and then later experienced increased housing and neighborhood economic values, enhanced sense of community, and improved neighborhood reputation. Residents experienced greater than anticipated pedestrian and child safety after rail service started. Compared with resident perceptions of walkable neighborhoods elsewhere, the Salt Lake residents perceived their neighborhood to be denser, and offering less land-use diversity and more crime safety problems. Perceived walkability increased, with residents reporting greater land-use diversity and neighborhood satisfaction after rail stop completion. However, residents said more stores, parks and trails, and trees would improve walkability. These results show the personal benefits residents desire to make transit-oriented living a satisfying residential alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. This study established a framework to audit environments supporting walking in neighborhoods. Design. Cross-sectional analysis using a telephone survey and 200 objective environmental variables. Setting. Urbanized King County, WA. Subjects. 608 randomly sampled adults. Measures. Walking measures constructed from survey questions; objective environmental measures taken from parcel-level databases in Geographic Information Systems. Analysis. Multinomial models estimated the odds of people engaging in moderate walking (<149 min/wk) and in walking sufficiently to meet recommendations for health (150 + min/ wk), relative to not walking; and in walking sufficiently, relative to walking moderately. A base model consisted of survey variables, and final models incorporated both survey and environmental variables. Results. Survey variables strongly associated with walking sufficiently to enhance health included household income, not having difficulty walking, using transit, perceiving social support for walking, walking outside of the neighborhood, and having a dog (p < .01). The models isolated 14 environmental variables associated with walking sufficiently (pseudo R2 up to 0.46). Measures of distance to neighborhood destinations dominated the results: shorter distances to grocery stores/markets, restaurants, and retail stores, but longer distances to offices or mixed-use buildings (p < .01 or .05). The density of the respondent's parcel was also strongly associated with walking sufficiently (p < .01). Conclusions. The study offered valid environmental measures of neighborhood walkability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. This study investigated the variance in sitting, walking, and moderate and vigorous physical activity explained by neighborhood design and recreational environmental variables above and beyond the variance accounted for by individual demographic variables. Design. Cross-sectional analyses of self-reported survey data. Setting. A random sample of inhabitants of Ghent, Belgium, aged 18-65 years, was drawn. Subjects. Five hundred twenty-one adults completed questionnaires (52.1 % response rate). The average age of the sample was 41 years, and 48.2% were female. Measures. A questionnaire developed to assess neighborhood design and recreational environmental variables with a total of 81 items was administered. The environmental questionnaire showed acceptable to good reliability and acceptable validity. The previously validated International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to quantify physical activity in the past 7 days. Additional demographic information was also obtained. Results. Regression analyses showed that environmental variables were related to all types of physical activity in both sexes. However, the range of variance explained by the models including demographic and environmental variables was low, only 5 % to 13%. Minutes of walking and of moderate-intensity activity were related to quality of sidewalks and accessibility of shopping and public transportation. Vigorous physical activity was related to presence of activity supplies in the home and number of convenient activity facilities outside the home. Conclusions. Both neighborhood design and recreational environment variables had small but significant associations with multiple types of physical activity in a sample of Belgian adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]