Complexity in Built Environment, Health, and Destination Walking: A Neighborhood-Scale Analysis
Abstract
Abstract
This study investigates the relationships between the built environment, the physical attributes of the neighborhood, and the residents’ perceptions of those attributes. It focuses on destination walking and self-reported health, and does so at the neighborhood scale. The built environment, in particular sidewalks, road connectivity, and proximity of local destinations, correlates with destination walking, and similarly destination walking correlates with physical health. It was found, however, that the built environment and health metrics may not be simply, directly correlated but rather may be correlated through a series of feedback loops that may regulate risk in different ways in different contexts. In particular, evidence for a feedback loop between physical health and destination walking is observed, as well as separate feedback loops between destination walking and objective metrics of the built environment, and destination walking and perception of the built environment. These feedback loops affect the ability to observe how the built environment correlates with residents’ physical health. Previous studies have investigated pieces of these associations, but are potentially missing the more complex relationships present. This study proposes a conceptual model describing complex feedback relationships between destination walking and public health, with the built environment expected to increase or decrease the strength of the feedback loop. Evidence supporting these feedback relationships is presented.
Department
Health Management and Policy, Natural Resources and the Environment, Civil Engineering, Earth Sciences
Publication Date
4-1-2012
Journal Title
Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
Publisher
New York Academy of Medicine
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1007/s11524-011-9652-8
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Carlson, C., Gardner, K.H., Rogers, S., Complexity in Built Environment, Health, and Destination Walking: A Neighborhood-Scale Analysis. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine (2012) (doi:10.1007/s11524-011-9652-8).
Rights
© 2012 The New York Academy of Medicine