Built environment as predictor of pedestrian activity: Findings from the Lean & Green in Motown Project

This study examines change over time in characteristics of the built environment and their associations with pedestrian use of greenways in Detroit, Michigan. Between June 2006 and October 2008, data were collected by ten trained community observers along three greenways in separate Detroit neighborhoods using three instruments designed for this study. A 22-item built environment long form to measure features such as amenities and signage was collected monthly by a single observer walking the entire length of the greenway. A 6-item built environment short form to assess more dynamic elements (e.g. traffic) was collected at sixteen time points during one week each month from 29 total stations along the greenways. A 6-item pedestrian form to measure pedestrian characteristics (e.g., gender, age) and physical activity type and intensity was collected at the same time as the built environment short form. In this presentation, we will first describe built environment characteristics along the greenways based on environmental indices created to capture barriers to physical activity identified by local residents. We will then present results, based on the three years of the study, of relationships between built environment characteristics and pedestrian characteristics and physical activity. The study is being conducted by the Lean & Green in Motown Project, which was designed and implemented by the Healthy Environments Partnership, a CBPR partnership.