The impact of urban design on walking and cycling: the RESIDE Project

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The impact of urban design on walking and
cycling the RESIDE Project

• Terri PikoraResearch FellowSchool of Population
  Health, UWA
• PATREC Research Forum
• 19 September 2006

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Overview

• Rationale obesity levels, built environment
• Background
• RESIDE aims
• Design of the study
• Some baseline results
• Using GIS measures
• Conclusions

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Obesity Prevalence Adults

• 2001 9 million gt18 Australians overweight or
  obese 3.3 million high-risk obese1 - 4th in
  world increasing fastest
• 2000 20.6 adults obese2 (8 1980)
• 67 males 52 females overweight2
• 1AIHW 2003 2 AusDiab 2001

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Obesity Prevalence Children

• Children 7-11 years 2003 26.7 overweight or
  obese 7.9 obese11985 12.1 overweight or
  obese 1.7 obese
• Australian childhood obesity levels rival the US
  exceed the UK 1Swinburn Bell 2003

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Consequences of Obesity

• Chronic diseases including cardiovascular
  disease diabetes cancers mental health
  musculo-skeletal problems asthma
• Impact of obesity, inactivity poor nutrition
  together responsible for 10 current health
  problems1
• Est. health sector spent lt1/person/year on
  prevention 70/person/year treating consequences
  
• 1Vos Begg

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Importance of Built Environment

• Environments provide opportunities barriers
  that can facilitate discourage physical
  activity participation
• Environments influence entire communities
  populations
• Environments are semi-permanent can influence
  behaviour over time

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Background

• Liveable Neighbourhood Guidelines
• The guidelines incorporate 6 design elements
• Community Design
• Movement Network
• Lot Layout
• Public Parkland
• Urban Water Management
• Utilities

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Background

• Liveable Neighbourhood Guidelines
• The guidelines incorporate 6 design elements
• Community Design
• Movement Network
• Lot Layout
• Public Parkland
• Urban Water Management
• Utilities

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Aim of RESIDE

• Evaluate impact of the Liveable Neighbourhood
  Guidelines on walking, cycling, public transport
  use and sense of community in neighbourhoods
• Examine self-selection accessibility to
  destinations

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Self-selection
People select neighbourhoods conducive to
behaviours?
Health behaviours shaped by environment?
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Study Design

• 5 year longitudinal study commenced in 2003
• 4 phase postal and telephone recruitment
• 33 response rate
• Study Participants
• 1813 people building new homes in 74 new estates
  18 liveable, 11 hybrid 45 conventional estates

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Longitudinal Study Design
GIS Measures
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Progress Update
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Baseline New Estates
Source Vincent Learnihan
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Factors Measured

• Perceptions of neighbourhood
• Choice of neighbourhood
• Walking, cycling, PA activity
• Attitude toward PA
• Self efficacy being PA
• Social environment support for PA
• Socio-demographic information
• Resources available at home (gym equipment)

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Baseline Results

• 60 female mean age 40 (sd 12)
• 67 children at home
• 82 employed
• 45 work for 38 or more hours/week
• 77 have 2 or more motor vehicles
• 18 spent 1 hour or more traveling to work
• 538 moving to liveable 358 to hybrid, 917 to
  conventional estates (total 1813)

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Baseline Results (cont.)

• Physical activity behaviours
• Walk rec. within neighbourhood 52.6
• Walk trans. within neighbourhood 36.1
• Walk rec. outside neighbourhood 17.7
• Walk trans. outside neighbourhood 13.8

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Baseline Results (cont.)

• Estate choice based on
• Affordability 86
• Perceived safe from crime 86
• Safe for children 66
• Streets designed to minimise traffic volume 63

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Baseline Results (cont.)

• Perceived number recreational destinations close
  to home 2.5
• Perceived number transport destinations close to
  home 6.3
• No difference between estate type

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Where people walked
ENVIRONMENTAL CORRELATES Beach Park, forest
Streets/footpath Walking trails
Café Stores School Transit Equipment at
home Recreation Centre Health club/gym Sporting
club Tennis courts Squash courts Golf
course Swimming pool
Walking for recreation, health and fitness
Walking
18.3 53.2 75.6 7.5 4.7 20.8
Walking for transport
Moderate-intensity physical activity
Physical activity
Vigorous-intensity physical activity
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Where people walked
ENVIRONMENTAL CORRELATES Beach Park, forest
Streets/footpath Walking trails
Café Stores School Transit Equipment at
home Recreation Centre Health club/gym Sporting
club Tennis courts Squash courts Golf
course Swimming pool
Walking for recreation, health and fitness
Walking
Walking for transport
10.7 78.0 12.8 22.5
Moderate-intensity physical activity
Physical activity
Vigorous-intensity physical activity
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GIS measures

• Geocoding of destinations actual perceived
  distance
• Measures of walkability

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Access within a 15 minute walk
Source Vincent Learnihan
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Walkability Maps
Source Vincent Learnihan
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Source Vincent Learnihan
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Conclusions

• Choice of liveable estate based on walkability
  measures close to shops, transit, parks beach
• At baseline, no evidence that those moving into
  liveable estates were more active
• 1st 2nd follow-up will provide information on
  impact of policy on increasing walking, cycling
  public transport use

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Collaborators
Support from
Sponsors
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Acknowledgements

• Research Staff
• Ms Claire Ruxton (Project Administration)
• Ms Andrea Lange (Research Assistant)
• Mrs Judy Maloney (Interviewer)
• Survey Research Centre
• Students
• Ms Hayley Cutt (PhD - APAI)
• Ms Sarah Foster (PhD)
• Mr Ryan Falconer (PhD)
• Ms Jacinta Francis (PhD)
• Mr Vincent Learnihan (Masters)
• Collaborators and industry partners
• Department for Planning Infrastructure
• NHF
• Planning Commission
• Petcare Information Advisory Service

• Investigators
• Prof Billie Giles-Corti
• Prof Matthew Knuiman
• Dr Kimberly Van Niel
• Dr Terri Pikora (Research Manager)
• Dr Fiona Bull
• Mr Max Bulsara
• Mr Trevor Shilton
• Dr Anna Timperio
• Prof Jeff Kenworthy
• Patric de Villiers
• Funders