Brooklyn Active Transportation Community Planning Initiative: Engaging residents in low-income urban neighborhoods to improve the built environment and increase physical activity

In low-income communities, obesity and physical inactivity rates remain disproportionately high. In North/Central Brooklyn, 68% of adults are overweight or obese and and 32% report no regular physical activity. Policy initiatives to improve the built environment and promote walking, biking, and other types of active transportation show promise in increasing activity levels. Effective active transportation programs traditionally include “5 E's”: Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Evaluation and Encouragement. Work in communities affected by health inequities encourages a sixth “E” – Engagement – involving stakeholders in examining and improving the built environment. In 2010, the Brooklyn Active Transportation Community Planning Initiative launched in two low-income communities to engage residents in exploring built environment changes to improve health and encourage active transportation. Stakeholder input is gathered through surveys, community forums, and bike and walkability assessments, and process measures are tracked. Future analysis will assess built-environment changes and their impact on activity levels. From December 2010 –2011, data was collected from 491 community members. Of 333 survey respondents, more than half (51%) reported sidewalks and streets as “unsafe” or “very unsafe” for walking and biking. Over 150 stakeholders participated in forums and street assessments, identifying specific street changes to improve active transportation. Data was shared with transportation planners to develop localized complete streets proposals. Engaging community members is essential to understanding and developing effective built environment strategies. The initiative will continue to foster collaboration among residents, organizations, and government agencies, including departments of health, transportation, and police, to increase active transportation in low-income neighborhoods.