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The purpose of the Active By Community Design (ABCD) project was to engage residents in the redesign of two public open spaces to increase park visits and park-based physical activity (PBPA). It was anticipated that by adding local preferences to park design considerations along with collected data and available evidence, the study would achieve increased levels of community engagement and subsequent increases in park visits and PBPA. This study summarizes two case studies outlining the community engagement and research translation process. Utilizing a pre–post evaluation design, baseline measures were completed with a series of validated tools for park use and park quality. Baseline data, evidence, community and stakeholder input were synthesized and presented to a "design subcommittee" to translate into "real-world" park redesigns. Park audits, a household survey, and park open days identified the spaces were not designed for the activities residents wanted, while park observations identified usage was low, and those observed were mostly children and adults walking. Park redesigns focused on maximizing access, infrastructure to enable physical activity (PA), PA programs and enhancements to improve aesthetics and safety concerns. The ABCD project successfully demonstrated a process of combining data and community and stakeholder engagement input to translate evidence into the creation of more supportive environments for PA. Stakeholder and resident input to the redesign processes contributed to satisfaction and ownership that residents reported on the redesigned parks, which may increase the likelihood of increased park usage and park-based physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there has been an increase in the availability of effective, evidence-based physical activity interventions in school settings during the past decade, there is a paucity of published research focusing on the translation of these effective interventions into real-world practice. The purpose of this research was to examine the translatability of an existing school-based physical activity intervention. More specifically, this research sought to identify the barriers and facilitators in adopting, implementing, and maintaining a school-based physical activity intervention using RE-AIM as a theoretical evaluation framework. It was concluded that interventions that consider issues around complexity and compatibility with the school setting are more likely to be adopted, implemented, and maintained. It was recommended that future evaluations of physical activity interventions should not be limited to testing internal validity, but should consider external validity and ecological aspects, relevant to increasing dissemination in real-world settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]