Walkable for Whom? Examining the Role of the Built Environment on the Neighbourhood-based Physical Activity of Children

Abstract

W alkability-the extent to which an area is supportive of walking-is a concept that emerged from the transportation literature and has been widely adopted in health research examining the impact of the built environment on physical activity and health outcomes. 1 Factors that make neighbourhoods more walkable include pedestrian amenities such as sidewalks, crosswalks, curb cuts and traffic lights; street connectivity; mixed-land use; and the presence of a variety of destinations within walking distance, features typically found in urban more than suburban neighbourhoods. 2-4 From a public health perspective, creating more walkable neighbourhoods might be expected to lead to a healthier environment by encouraging reduced car usage and therefore lower car emissions and air pollution, and also by increasing opportunities for active transportation (physically active modes of transportation, such as walking, biking, rollerblading, skateboarding), which could increase overall levels of physical activity and decrease obesity. 5-7 Although a significant amount of research has shown that adults living in urban neighbourhoods walk more and have a lower bodymass index (BMI) than their suburban counterparts, other studies have found that this association is not consistent in all urban neighbourhoods or with all demographic groups. 4,8,9 Very little research has examined the impact of neighbourhood design on activity levels in children and youth, and the few studies that have looked specifically at youth activity have also produced mixed findings. 10-13 A study of Belgian adolescents found that they were more likely to walk and bike in less walkable neighbourhoods than more walkable neighbourhoods. 14 Other studies have found that while boys are more active in neighbourhoods that are close to commercial areas and have connected streets, girls are more active in neighbourhoods with unconnected, curvilinear, low-traffic streets. 15,16 No consistent association has been established between children's BMI and neighbourhood design, but some research suggests that certain neighbourhood characteristics may be influential. For example, neighbourhood safety and access to parks, playgrounds, recreation centres and sidewalks were significantly associated with lower BMI in girls aged 10-11 years in a US study based on a survey conducted by the National Centre for Health Statistics. 17 Higher rates of overweight and obesity were found in both boys and girls

Integrative Review of the Intersection of Green Space and Neighborhood Violence

“…A review of mixed-methods studies and examples of calculated green space, as well as surveys and interviews with Latino adolescents 12 to 19 years of age (53% female), uncovered themes of neighborhood disorder and safety (Shinew et al, 2013) and nature and attractiveness (Tachikawa & Hashimoto, 2007) in qualitative analyses. Similar findings were described in qualitative studies ( Table 3) in Canada (Loptson et al, 2012), the United Kingdom (Seaman, Jones, & Ellaway, 2010), South Africa (Roos et al, 2015), and the United States (Rader et al, 2015;Stodolska, Shinew, Acevedo, & Izenstark, 2011). Also found were themes of green space promoting a sense of safety and pleasantness in neighborhoods (Loptson et al, 2012;Stodolska et al, 2011;Tachikawa & Hashimoto, 2007), perceptions of people as friends in green spaces (Loptson et al, 2012;Roos et al, 2015), perceptions of the quality, accessibility, and positive aesthetics of green space, and perceptions of social capital and neighborhood cohesion related to green space (Loptson et al, 2012;Roos et al, 2015;Seaman et al, 2010).…”

“…Similar findings were described in qualitative studies ( Table 3) in Canada (Loptson et al, 2012), the United Kingdom (Seaman, Jones, & Ellaway, 2010), South Africa (Roos et al, 2015), and the United States (Rader et al, 2015;Stodolska, Shinew, Acevedo, & Izenstark, 2011). Also found were themes of green space promoting a sense of safety and pleasantness in neighborhoods (Loptson et al, 2012;Stodolska et al, 2011;Tachikawa & Hashimoto, 2007), perceptions of people as friends in green spaces (Loptson et al, 2012;Roos et al, 2015), perceptions of the quality, accessibility, and positive aesthetics of green space, and perceptions of social capital and neighborhood cohesion related to green space (Loptson et al, 2012;Roos et al, 2015;Seaman et al, 2010). In contrast, when people perceived green space users to be "others" (Rader et al, 2015;Shinew et al, 2013;Stodolska et al, 2011), perception of crime was higher (Rader et al, 2015;Seaman et al, 2010;Tachikawa & Hashimoto, 2007) and perceived quality of green space was lower (Roos et al, 2015;Shinew et al, 2013;Stodolska et al, 2011).…”

“…Quantitative findings of quality (Kalish et al., ) and pleasantness (Deweese et al., ), similar to the qualitative themes of quality, accessibility, and aesthetics (Loptson et al., ; Roos et al., ; Seaman et al., ), lend support to the hypothesis that greenness has a positive impact on safety. While data collection has been more superficial in the measure of green space as compared to other factors of perceived safety, such as neighborhood disorder (Côté‐Lussier et al., ; Garvin et al., ; Shinew et al., ) and community cohesion (Côté‐Lussier et al., ), there is a sufficient foundation of knowledge to support the need for more research.…”

“…Study sites included one clinic (Roos, Myezwa, & van Aswegen, ), one at the neighborhood level (Adams et al., ), and one at the provincial level (Côté‐Lussier, Barnett, Kestens, Tu, & Séguin, ), with most in urban areas ( n = 25). One study looked across suburban, semi‐suburban, and urban areas (Loptson, Muhajarine, Ridalls, & Smart Cities, Healthy Kids Research Team, ), although the majority of sites in that study were in urban areas ( n = 17). Two studies were national level studies (Jongeneel‐Grimen, Droomers, van Oers, Stronks, & Kunst, ; Lachowycz & Jones, ).…”

Olympic Champion Sara Simeoni Talks about Gender Barriers in Sport and Medicine: Culture, Opportunities and Resources

“…Indeed, today's SMART cities are enclosed in a technological vision and even encourage the perspective of a virtual life in the cities [22][23][24]. Seemingly, an explicit planning for the design and implementation of sustainable mobility contexts is lacking: this intervention should be realistically planned, with the scope of facilitating all physical mobility and, particularly, physical exercise and sports activities.…”