Assessing the Built Environment to Promote Healthy Lifestyles

Donald Burger ASLA, South Dakota State University
Payton N. Schafers ASLA, South Dakota State University
Beth Davis, PAPPH, Healthology Works

Learning Objectives

• Participate in and lead a community-visioning workshop
  
• Explain three complementary theories for community visioning, with accompanying tools and strategies for assessing walkability, connectivity and community in the built environment
  
• Combine simple quantifiable assessments with qualitative analysis to improve the policies that facilitate active transportation and promote healthy lifestyles
  
• Use and adapt community-visioning tools and strategies for their own communities
  

Session Abstract

This half-day pre-conference intensive will explore a hybrid participatory process for community-visioning using interactive presentations, walking tours of nearby neighborhoods, and a mini charrette. Participants will be trained to assess and analyze the built environment using quantitative and qualitative metrics as a way to propose and implement change. Presenters will demonstrate how to engage community stakeholders in understanding and re-envisioning their surroundings.

Assessments will be through the lens of walkability, connectivity, and community, revealing opportunities for improving the built environment. These opportunities can involve changes to the physical environment, public policy, or society and people. Presenters have worked together developing and implementing a field-based assessment method for active transportation that is based on place-making (Lynch, 1960), park and recreation analysis (Lee, 2005), and street-level walkability/cyclability analysis (Clifton, 2010).

The first section will feature three 15-minute lectures discussing the nexus between active lifestyles and built environments. Presenters will share knowledge gained from working on nine government-funded projects using a hybrid participatory assessment process for community visioning. The second section will involve walking tours led by the three presenters. Participants will apply field-based assessment metrics for parks (PARA) and streets (PEDS). Group 1 will visit a portion of the Brooklyn Heights residential neighborhood west of the EDRA venue, Group 2 the Cadman Plaza Park, and Group 3 a portion of the NYU Tandon campus. Following the walking tours, 75 minutes will be devoted to a mini design charrette. Application of the principles discussed in the first 45 minutes and data gathered by the walking groups will be used to envision potential changes to sites.

The last 15 minutes will be used for summation, distributing handouts, and conducting a post-workshop evaluation.

Disclaimer: participants must have the physical ability to actively maneuver across a variety of surface types on the walking tour.

The Nexus between Active Lifestyles and Built Environments

Donald A Burger and Payton N Schafers

This fifteen-minute presentation introduces an overview of the nexus between active lifestyles and built environments, based on principles of place-making (Lynch, 1960). The five elements of place-making (node, path, edge, district, landmark) will be applied to street-level wayfinding and walkability/cyclability, with a discussion of how these elements lend themselves to increased participation in various modes of active transportation. Legible or illegible environments influence walking behavior in a variety of user groups, including the elderly (Marquez et. al, 2017). By providing legible and navigable environments, individuals are more likely to be willing to walk or bike. The ability for designers and policy-makers to identify and incorporate these elements is essential for the successful development of community well-being.

During the 45-minute field-based assessment, the presenters will lead walking groups to examine a portion of the NYU Tandon campus (the EDRA venue) using place-based assessment and analysis strategies, including photographic evidence, sketching, and notation of five place-making elements.

Following the field assessment, the presenters will guide a discussion of field assessments and design charrette with a blended group of participants from all three walking groups. Application of the principles discussed in first-hour lecture and data recovered from walking groups. Participants will envision potential changes to the evaluated sites using basic building blocks such as destinations, pathways, and community events. At the conclusion of the workshop, the presenter will provide a summation of the day's activities, including a review of the learning outcomes.

Park, Recreation, and Street-Level Walkability Built Environment Analysis Tools and Strategies

Payton N Schafers

This fifteen-minute presentation discusses park and recreation (Lee, 2005) and street-level walkability/cyclability (Clifton, 2010) analysis. A discussion of the quantifiable metrics and their modified protocols, including the rationale for modification based upon presenters' applied experience. Lee developed the Parks and Recreation Assessment tool to examine the quality of recreational facilities from a maintenance (presence of graffiti, broken or missing equipment, damaged vegetation, etc.) along with the recreational offering present in facilities. Meanwhile, Clifton developed a standardized method for evaluating the street environment for barriers to walkability and other forms of active transportation, for use in GIS-based analysis. The coupling of these two tools helps to provide a foundation for discussions regarding the built environment and how it can be changed in strategic ways to improve overall quality of life for the inhabitants of that environment. These tools also provide a platform for discussing the values that different community groups may have in relationship to these facilities. Modifications to the protocols have been necessary to make the tools more adaptable to a variety of urban conditions and contexts, and to associate the value-based discussion with the built-in metrics of the assessment tools.

During the 45-minute field-based assessment, the presenter will lead walking group to examine Cadman Plaza Park using the quantitative metric for parks (PARA) and the modified protocols developed by the presenters. Following the field assessment, the presenter will guide a discussion of field assessments and design charrette with a blended group of participants from all three walking groups. Application of the principles discussed in first-hour lecture and data recovered from walking groups. Participants will envision potential changes to the evaluated sites using basic building blocks such as destinations, pathways, and community events. At the conclusion of the workshop, the presenter will distribute handouts of assessment tools.

Examples and Perspectives of Walkability Analysis and Application

Donald A Burger and Beth Davis

This fifteen minute presentation will provide the perspective of a funding agency with regard to public partnerships to develop active transportation within constituent communities. These partnerships help to fulfill the agency's mission to promote health and active lifestyles. Examples of successes include community-based implementation plans for new walking and cycling paths in partner communities, an increase in the number of walk audit and community transformation / safe route to school funding applications, and an overall enhanced awareness of the opportunities for everyday physical activity throughout the agency's jurisdiction.

During the field-based assessment, Presenter C will lead walking group to evaluate a portion of the Brooklyn Heights residential neighborhood west of the EDRA venue using the metric for streets (PEDS) and the modified protocols developed by the presenters. Following the field-assessment, Presenter C will guide a discussion of field assessments and design charrette with a blended group of participants from all three walking groups. Application of the principles discussed in first-hour lecture and data recovered from walking groups. Participants will envision potential changes to the evaluated sites using basic building blocks such as destinations, pathways, and community events.

At the conclusion of the workshop, Presenter C will administer the post-workshop evaluation.