The purpose of this study was to examine associations between street connectivity and road traffic speed and neighborhood residents' use of parks and park-based physical activity.
Design.
Cross-sectional.
Setting.
Kansas City, Missouri.
Subjects.
Participants were 893 adults from randomly selected households.
Measures.
Both self-reported park use and park-based physical activity were dichotomized as some versus none. Intersection density was calculated around each participant, and network analysis was used to determine whether participants had to travel on or cross a road with traffic speed greater than 35 miles per hour (mph) to reach the closest park.
Analysis.
Multilevel logistic regression examined the association between intersection density and traffic speed wit park use and park-based physical activity.
Results.
Compared to those in the lowest intersection density quartile, participants in the third and fourth quartiles were more likely to use parks and to engage in physical activity in parks (odds ratio [OR] = 1.76–2.34; all p < .05). Likewise, compared to those who had a high-speed road on their way to the closest park, participants with slower traffic routes to parks were more likely to use the parks (OR = 1.47; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05–1.92).
Conclusion.
In addition to park proximity and the design of park features, ensuring direct and safe access to parks through street network design and traffic speed reduction strategies may be key to facilitating park-related physical activity.
SallisJFOwenNFisherEB. Ecological models of health behavior. In: GlanzKRimerBViswanathK, eds. Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice. 4th ed.San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass; 2008:465–482.
2.
HandySLBoarnetMGEwingRKillingsworthRE. How the built environment affects physical activity: Views from urban planning. Am J Prev Med.2002;23(suppl 1):64–73.
3.
RoofKOleruN. Public health: Seattle and King County's push for the built environment. J Environ Health. 2008;71(1):24–27.
4.
SallisJFFloydMFRodríguezDASaelensBE. Role of built environments in physical activity, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Circulation. 2012;125:729–737.
5.
LeeCMoudonAV. Physical activity and environment research in the health field: Implications for urban and transportation planning practice and research. Journal of Planning Literature. 2004;19:147–181.
6.
SugiyamaTNeuhausMColeR. Destination and route attributes associated with adults' walking: A review [published online ahead of print January 3, 2012]. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012;44(7):1275–1286.
7.
Bedimo-RungALMowenAJCohenDA. The significance of parks to physical activity and public health: A conceptual model. Am J Prev Med.2005;28(suppl 2):159–168.
8.
SugiyamaTFrancisJMiddletonNJ. Associations between recreational walking and attractiveness, size, and proximity of neighborhood open spaces. Am J Public Health. 2010;100:1752–1757.
9.
Giles-CortiBBroomhallMHKnuimanM. Increasing walking: How important is distance to, attractiveness, and size of public open space?Am J Prev Med.2005;28(suppl 2):169–176.
10.
KaczynskiATPotwarkaLRSaelensBE. Association of park size, distance, and features with physical activity in neighborhood parks. Am J Public Health. 2008;98:1451–1456.
11.
WittenKHiscockRPearceJBlakelyT. Neighbourhood access to open spaces and the physical activity of residents: A national study. Prev Med.2008;47:299–303.
12.
RoemmichJNEpsteinLHRajaS. Association of access to parks and recreational facilities with the physical activity of young children. Prev Med.2006;43:437–441.
13.
HillsdonMPanterJFosterCJonesA. The relationship between access and quality of urban green space with population physical activity. Public Health. 2006;120:1127–1132.
StanglP. The US pedestrian plan: Linking practice and research. Planning Practice & Research. 2011;26:289–305.
16.
OzbilAPeponisJStoneB. Understanding the link between street connectivity, land use and pedestrian flows. URBAN DESIGN International. 2011;16:125–141.
17.
TesterJMRutherfordGWWaldZRutherfordMW. A matched case–control study evaluating the effectiveness of speed humps in reducing child pedestrian injuries. Am J Public Health. 2004;94:646–650.
18.
Loukaitou-SiderisA. Is it safe to walk? Neighborhood safety and security considerations and their effects on walking. Journal of Planning Literature. 2006;20:219–232.
19.
JacobsenPLRacioppiFRutterH. Who owns the roads? How motorised traffic discourages walking and bicycling. Inj Prev.2009;15:369–373.
20.
FrankLDSchmidTLSallisJF. Linking objectively measured physical activity with objectively measured urban form: Findings from SMARTRAQ. Am J Prev Med.2005;28:117–125.
21.
MorrisonDSThomsonHPetticrewM. Evaluation of the health effects of a neighbourhood traffic calming scheme. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2004;58:837–840.
22.
ClelandVJTimperioACrawfordD. Are perceptions of the physical and social environment associated with mothers' walking for leisure and for transport? A longitudinal study. Prev Med.2008;47:188–193.
23.
KaczynskiAT. Neighborhood walkability perceptions: Associations with amount of neighborhood-based physical activity by intensity and purpose. J Phys Act Health. 2010;7:3–10.
24.
Giles-CortiBTimperioABullFPikoraT. Understanding physical activity environmental correlates: Increased specificity for ecological models. Exerc Sport Sci Rev.2005;33(4):175–181.
25.
KaczynskiATPotwarkaLRSmaleBJAHavitzME. Association of parkland proximity with neighborhood and park-based physical activity: Variations by gender and age. Leisure Sciences: An Interdisciplinary Journal. 2009;31:174–191.
26.
LachowyczKJonesAPPageAS. What can global positioning systems tell us about the contribution of different types of urban greenspace to children's physical activity?Health Place. 2012;18:586–594.
DillmanDA. Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method. 3rd ed.New York: John Wiley & Sons; 2008.
29.
TiltJH. Walking trips to parks: Exploring demographic, environmental factors, and preferences for adults with children in the household. Prev Med.2010;50(suppl):S69–S73.
30.
CoombesEJonesAPHillsdonM. The relationship of physical activity and overweight to objectively measured green space accessibility and use. Soc Sci Med.2010;70:816–822.
31.
TropedPJWilsonJSMatthewsCE. The built environment and location-based physical activity. Am J Prev Med.2010;38:429–438.
32.
WalkerJTMowenAJHendricksWW. Physical activity in the park setting (PAPS) questionnaire: Reliability in a California statewide sample. J Phys Act Health. 2009;6(suppl 1):S97–S104.
33.
KaczynskiATStanisWilhelm SABesenyiGM. Development and testing of a community stakeholder park audit tool. Am J Prev Med.2012;42:242–249.
34.
KaczynskiATHavitzME. Examining the relationship between proximal park features and residents' physical activity in neighborhood parks. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. 2009;27(3):42–58.
35.
SaelensBSallisJFrankL. Environmental correlates of walking and cycling: Findings from the transportation, urban design, and planning literatures. Ann Behav Med.2003;25(2):80–91.
36.
HandySPatersonRButlerK. Planning for street Connectivity: Getting From Here to There. Chicago, Ill: American Planning Association; 2003.
37.
LynchK. The Image of the City. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press; 1960.
38.
RodríguezDAEvensonKRRouxDiez AVBrinesSJ. Land use, residential density, and walking: The multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis. Am J Prev Med.2009;37:397–404.
39.
MecredyGPickettWJanssenI. Street connectivity is negatively associated with physical activity in Canadian youth. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011;8:3333–3350.
40.
HandySCaoXMokhtarianP. Neighborhood design and children's outdoor play: Evidence from Northern California. Children, Youth & Environments. 2008;18(2):160–179.
41.
KoohsariMJKarakiewiczJAKaczynskiAT. Public open space and walking: The role of proximity, perceptual qualities of the surrounding built environment, and street configuration [published online ahead of print May 4, 2012]. Environ Behav. doi:10.1177/0013916512440876.
42.
LeckE. The impact of urban form on travel behavior: A meta-analysis. Berkeley Planning Journal. 2006;19:37–58.
43.
McGinnAEvensonKHerringA. Exploring associations between physical activity and perceived and objective measures of the built environment. J Urban Health. 2007;84:162–184.
44.
ElvikR. Speed limits, enforcement, and health consequences. Annu Rev Public Health. 2012;33(1):225–238.
45.
AartsLvan SchagenI. Driving speed and the risk of road crashes: A review. Accid Anal Prev.2006;38(2):215–224.
46.
KaczynskiATMowenAJ. Does self-selection influence the relationship between park availability and physical activity?Prev Med.2011;52:23–25.
47.
AlmanzaEJerrettMDuntonG. A study of community design, greenness, and physical activity in children using satellite, GPS and accelerometer data. Health Place. 2012;18:46–54.
