179821 Forming public and private partnerships for community based participatory research: The St Roch walking path

Tuesday, October 28, 2008: 12:45 PM

Kathryn M. Parker, MPH , School of Public Health, Community Health Sciences, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Jeanette Gustat, PhD MPH , Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Adam B. Becker, PhD, MPH , Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children, Childrens Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL
Janet C. Rice, PhD , Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Thomas Farley, MD, MPH , NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY
CBPR strategies should be translated into a public planning process in order to create sustainable environmental changes that increase physical activity. Lessons learned from the Partnership for an Active Community Environment (PACE), the core research project at the Tulane University Prevention Research Center, provide important insights into areas of planning and participation from not only steering committee members but other affected residents. The PACE steering committee, comprised of local community organizations, created a wish list of environmental changes in the project area. After discussion, the committee agreed upon a ranking of the interventions. The top rated intervention sought to change a neutral ground into a public walking path, connecting a well known park to a historic market. Since this project is in the public domain and would require the full support of Departments of Public Works, the Office of Recovery Management and Parks and Parkways, project staff created partnerships with those city entities and gathered additional information from the residents who lived near the proposed pathway. The research team created a short survey to ascertain whether residents thought a walking path was necessary and what features it should have. A certified landscape architect created conceptual drawings based upon the residents' ideas for the walking path. Residents then viewed the drawings and made further comments for the city to consider in the design process. Construction of the walking path was completed in November of 2007.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the CBPR process in establishing an environmental change in a public right of way. 2. Apply lessons from the PACE project to other CBPR projects. 3. Describe 2-3 challenges and successes in creating partnerships among city officials and residents as part of the CBPR process.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Principal Investigator on the study and participated in all aspects of the work.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.