International research on urban planning and health has found that characteristics of the urban environment can directly influence health and physical activity (PA) levels in the resident population over and above the individual characteristics of the population. Such an approach to health research is known as ecological modelling.
Most existing GIS methodologies for producing objective measures of neighbourhoods have been developed in America and Australia and, therefore, need adapting for the UK due to different urban forms and data availability.
Researchers from the Centre for Sport and Exercise Research and the Institute of Environment, Sustainability and Regeneration at Staffordshire University have devised a set of measures using GIS for urban settings. These measures include:
- population density
- land use mix
- levels of crime and antisocial behaviour
- road traffic
- levels of traffic accidents (including cyclists and pedestrians)
- street connectivity
Also, using a detailed GIS dataset of the pedestrian road and pathway network, detailed network analysis methodologies have been used to calculate households walking distances to:
- green spaces / active play spaces
- shops (including food stores by type)
- PA / recreation facilities
- mass transport (bus stops)
This ‘neighbourhood-level’ environmental data has been combined with individual-level data from a concurrent community survey of residents. This survey has measured physical activity levels and health-related behaviours, health status and other measures including individuals’ perceptions of their neighbourhood environment using internationally verified surveys.
The outcomes of this analysis are used to highlight environmental indices most associated with health and PA levels. These measures can then be combined to produce an overall measure of neighbourhood ‘walkability’.
Findings from the project will inform public policy for increasing population PA levels and good practice in urban design.
This work is part of the National Prevention Research Initiative and has been funded by the Medical Research Council.