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

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.