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Past Projects : 2004 - 2007 : Active and Healthy Cities
Several Direct Design Assistance projects involve pedestrian planning or walkability. Other projects and educational materials related to healthy cities include:
Projects:
- Non-motorized Pilot Project Evaluation (2006-): the Metropolitan Design Center is helping evaluate the Non-motorized Transportation Pilot Project (NTPP)
- Design for Health/Healthy Comprehensive Planning (2006-2008): With funding from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, the Design Center is creating a technical assistance library, an educational program of workshops and lectures, and providing individualized technical assistance to Minnesota communities.
- TREC/IDEA Measuring the Environments of Youth Study (2005-2010): As part of a large National Institutes of Health Grant for Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer, the Design Center is investigating the home and school environments of a panel of youth in the Twin Cities. Ann Forsyth is a Co-Principal Investigator on the Grant.
- Twin Cities Walking Study (2003-2006): The relationship of the environment and physical activity is in the news. This two-year study is measuring the walkability of different environments. While social and economic characteristics are generally found to be more important predictors of whether people will walk than physical factors, the environment does make some difference. The research team will be measuring how much of a difference and which factors are key.
- Faculty Fellowships: The intersection between health and the environment is the subject of a Dayton Hudson Faculty Fellowship project by Rebecca Krinke (The Re-Embodiment of Everyday Life (Walking), 2005-2006).
Educational Materials and Publications:
- Active Living PowerPoints and Self-Guided Tours (2005): Prepared for the 2005 Planners Network Conference, these PowerPoints and tours introduce professionals and lay people to active living concepts.
- Community Design: Moving to Combat Obesity Workshop (2004): Former Design Center Director Ann Forsyth prepared a toolkit for this conference.
- http://www.designforhealth.net (2006-): This is the project site for the Healthy Comprehensive Planning project as well as a resource site of issues of health and urban design.
- GIS Protocols (2005-): Building on the work of the Twin Cities Walking Study the Design Center has developed protocols for measuring the built environment using GIS. These protocols focus on environmental features that affect walking. Student Classes : The Metropolitan Design Workshop has dealt with health issues. In 2004 it prepared a pedestrian plan and in 2006 a precinct plan for the University of Minnesota, Academic Health Center.
- Journal of Urban Design Special Issue on Walking (2007): In 2007 the Journal of Urban Design will publish a special issue on walking and pedestrians co-edited by Former Design Center Director Ann Forsyth and by Professor Michael Southworth from Berkeley.
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