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We examined whether living in a walkable neighborhood influenced the happiness of younger and older city residents. The data for this study came from a comprehensive household population survey of 1,064 adults living in 16 neighborhoods in Dublin City (Ireland) and its suburbs. We used multigroup structural equation modeling to analyze the direct and indirect effects of walkability on happiness, mediated by health, trust, and satisfaction with neighborhood appearance. We found living in a walkable neighborhood was directly linked to the happiness of people aged 36 to 45 (p =.001) and, to a lesser extent, those aged 18 to 35 (p =.07). For older adults, we found that walkable places mattered for happiness indirectly. Such built environments enhanced the likelihood that residents felt more healthy and more trusting of others, and this in turn affected the happiness of older people living in walkable neighborhoods. We found that the way neighborhoods are planned and maintained mattered for happiness, health, and trust. Our findings suggest that mixed-use neighborhood designs that enable residents to shop and socialize within walking distance to their homes have direct and indirect effects on happiness. We call for an ongoing dialogue and evaluation of the way our urban and suburban neighborhoods are planned, designed, and developed, so that people can live in walkable places that better enable health and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity (PA) promotion is a complex challenge, with the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity (GAPPA) endorsing a systems approach and recommending countries assess existing areas of progress which can be strengthened. This paper reports a process facilitating a systems approach for identifying current good practice and gaps for promoting PA in Ireland. Elements of participatory action research were enabled through 3 stages: (1) aligning examples of actions from Irish policy documents (n = 3) to the GAPPA, (2) workshop with stakeholders across multiple sectors, and (3) review of outputs. Data collected through the workshop were analyzed using a deductive thematic analysis guided by the GAPPA. The policy context in Ireland aligns closely to the GAPPA with the creation of Active Systems the most common strategic objective across policy documents. Forty participants (50% male) took part in the systems approach workshop, which after revision resulted in 80 examples of good practice and 121 actions for greater impact. A pragmatic and replicable process facilitating a systems approach was adopted and showed current Irish policy and practices align with the GAPPA "good practices." The process provides existing areas of progress which can be strengthened, as well as the policy opportunities and practice gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. I sought to examine whether pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use neighborhoods encourage enhanced levels of social and community engagement (i.e., social capital). Methods. The study investigated the relationship between neighborhood design and individual levels of social capital. Data were obtained from a household survey that measured the social capital of citizens living in neighborhoods that ranged from traditional, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented designs to modern, car-dependent suburban subdivisions in Galway, Ireland. Results. The analyses indicate that persons living in walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods have higher levels of social capital compared with those living in car-oriented suburbs. Respondents living in walkable neighborhoods were more likely to know their neighbors, participate politically, trust others, and be socially engaged. Conclusions. Walkable, mixed-use neighborhood designs can encourage the development of social capital.

Social capital has become a cornerstone to community development. Unfortunately, its scope of research, particularly on policy, creates more smoke than light. This essay builds on an interdisciplinary foundation for a more inclusive approach to social capital research. Though broad evidence supports Putnam's claims on social capital, our understanding is incomplete, partly due to scholars' focus on individual disciplinary perspectives. We summarize social capital and its use as a development tool, and consider how to move toward a more interdisciplinary framework. We explore where communities have created and evaluated social capital, cross-disciplinary insights, empirical work suggesting cause-effect, and offer three examples of interplay between social capital and community development: the built environment, migration, and entrepreneurship. Our conclusion presents a conceptual model including all Community Capitals rather than treating them piecemeal, viewing the community as a system under what ecologists call the "law of the minimum" wherein limiting elements constrain growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using survey data, this study tests competing hypotheses about the nature of opposition to a hazardous waste incinerator. Using a multivariate model, we challenge some of the basic assumptions of the Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) label typically used to characterize opposition. We find little evidence for components of the NIMBY label such as concern about property values and aesthetics, but find instead that opposition is related primarily to trust in government, fear of health consequences, and other ideological or demographic factors. We conclude with a discussion urging facility proponents to gain a better understanding of the nature of opposition and of the complexities of public opinion., Introduction In the past decade or so, a virtual cottage industry has grown up and around the issue of siting noxious facilities. What is clear is that it has become [...]

Background: The U.S. Community Guide to Preventive Services strongly recommends changes in urban design, land use and accessibility to increase physical activity. To achieve these goals, policy change is often needed. This study assessed attitudes of decision makers in Hawaii to determine if physical activity related issues are among their priori- ties. Methods: State and county officials (n = 179) were mailed surveys. Respondents listed the three most important problems (open-ended) in Hawaii and rated the importance of 23 specified problems, of which six directly related to physical activity. Results: The survey was completed by 126 (70.4%) respondents. The most frequently mentioned categories for the open-ended questions were affordable housing, environment/sustainability, sprawl/traffic/population growth, and healthcare. Among the closed-ended physical activity related items, increasing traffic was ranked highest (43.9%) and fourth overall. Less than 12% of decision makers rated other physical activity issues as important. Conclusions: Future work is needed to increase the visibility and importance of physical activity related issues among policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: WV Walks replicated the Wheeling Walks community-wide campaign methodology to promote physical activity. Methods: A social marketing intervention promoted walking among insufficiently active 40- to 65-year-olds throughout the television media market in north-central West Virginia. The intervention included participatory planning, an 8-week mass media-based campaign, and policy and environmental activities. Pre and post random-digit-dial cohort telephone surveys were conducted at baseline and immediately postcampaign in intervention and comparison regions. Results: The campaign resulted in maximal message awareness in north-central WV and demonstrated a significant increase in walking behavior represented by an absolute shift of 12% of the target population from insufficiently active to active (≥30 minutes, 5 days per week), versus the comparison community (adjusted odds ratio 1.82, CI: 1.05-3.17). Policy and environmental changes were also evident. Conclusions: This replication study increases our confidence that the initial effects observed in the Wheeling Walks intervention are generalizable to other similar rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the effect of state economic conditions on gubernatorial elections in the United States. Role of political parties in American politics; Impact of state economic performance on incumbent party percentage; Factors affecting voters' awareness of divided government.

Despite the growing importance of political parties as campaign service providers and as organizational forces in the U.S. House, few have explored the linkages between party campaign activities in House elections and partisan behavior within the House. In this article, we explore the possibility that financial contributions by party committees during the election cycle might motivate House members to support the party line more often after the election. Examining data on all Democrats and Republicans successfully reelected to the House during the 1980s, we find evidence that those who received larger shares of their campaign receipts from party sources showed greater-than-expected levels of party unity during the session of Congress immediately following the election. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]