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Past Projects : 2004 - 2007 : Twin Cities Walking Study
There is a growing consensus that there are four main built environment variables that affect walking for transportation: density, street pattern or connectivity, land use mix, and infrastructure. There is still much debate about how much the variables affect walking for transportation, recreation, and other purposes; why they affect walking; and how best to measure them.
The Twin Cities Walking Study is examining 36 sites of 805*805 meters (0.5*0.5 miles) in St. Paul and the I-35W Corridor Coalition where particularly good GIS data are available. The sites vary greatly by street pattern and density. We are measuring physical and social characteristics of the areas using existing GIS and some new observations. The team has also had a total of 718 people living in the areas to answer surveys, keep a 7-day travel diary, and wear a small and very accurate accelerometer that measures movement and physical activity over a 7-day period. The study team is analyzing how much of a difference the environment makes, controlling statistically for a large number of factors. The findings will have application in the Twin Cities and nationally.
Principal Investigator Ann Forsyth with Co-PIs Kathryn Schmitz and Michael Oakes of Public Health.
Other collaborators or advisors include faculty from three other universities:
- Members of the grant's Transportation Expert Panel Dr. Sandra Rosenbloom from The University of Arizona, Dr. Jonathan Levine from the University of Michigan, and Dr. Kevin Krizek from the University of Minnesota.
- A group from UC Irvine collaborating to produce the Irvine-Minnesota Urban Design Inventory. This inventory design was led by Dr. Marlon Boarnet and Dr. Kristen Day of UC Irvine. The Irvine team developed the draft inventory and the Minnesota team refined it.
Funded through the Active Living Research program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, www.activelivingresearch.org/index.php
Publications of the Twin Cities Walking Study:
- Environment and Physical Activity GIS Protocols Manual
- Overview Presentation at 2005 Active Living Research Conference (8:45 session)
- Irvine Minnesota Inventory: This urban design inventory was developed by a team led by UC-Irvine researchers (see above) with contributions from the Twin Cities Walking Study. The basic materials are now online and an overall assessment is being revised for publication.
- Twin Cities Walking Survey: a compilation of measures from a variety of sources to measure quality of life, perceptions of neighborhood environment, physical activity, psychosocial predictors of physical activity, demographics, and pedestrian and bicycle safety.
- 2006 Ann Forsyth, Kathryn H. Schmitz, J. Michael Oakes, Jason Zimmerman, and Joel Koepp, Standards for Environmental Measurement using GIS: Toward a Protocol for Protocols. Journal of Physical Activity and Health 3, S1: 241-s257.
- 2006 Kristen Day, Marlon Boarnet, Mariela Alfonzo, Ann Forsyth, The Irvine Minnesota Inventory to Measure Built Environments: Development. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 30, 2: 144-152.
- 2006 Kristen Day, Marlon Boarnet, Mariela Alfonzo, Ann Forsyth, J. Michael Oakes, The Irvine Minnesota Inventory to Measure Built Environments: Reliability Tests. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 30, 2: 153-259.
- 2006 Oberstar Forum Presentation by Ann Forsyth
- 2007 Forthcoming, Ann Forsyth, J. Michael Oakes, Kathryn H. Schmitz, and Mary Hearst, Does Residential Density Increase Walking and Other Physical Activity? Urban Studies 44, 7.
Download: Map of study areas (868 KB)
Status: Not updated after June 2007. For recent information see http://www.designforhealth.net/health/twin_cities_walking.html
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1 Ralph Rapson Hall, 89 Church Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455, |