Study examines activity and neighborhood patterns

A $750,000 research project is underway that will evaluate how traditional neighborhoods impact walking patterns, automobile use, and quality of life at locations nationwide. Three new urban communities will be studied: New Town at St. Charles, Missouri; Stapleton in Denver; and Atlantic Station in Atlanta. Data collection has begun at New Town, and soon will start at Stapleton, Ross Brownson, a professor with the St. Louis University School of Public Health and principal investigator on the project, told New Urban News. Historic traditional neighborhoods in Atlanta, San Diego, St. Louis, and Sacramento will also be studied; the locations in these cities are currently being selected. Activity levels, behavior, and perceptions of individuals and families will be studied both prior to and after moving to traditional neighborhoods, Brownson notes. The study could break new ground, especially as it pertains to the impact of New Urbanism. first of its kind “These are the first large-scale studies in the US to look at the effect of moving into a community that is structurally designed to encourage walking and biking,” said Brownson. “We know that these new communities are designed to make it easier for people to walk or bike to their destinations. What we don’t know is whether the layout of community sidewalks and trails actually stimulates a more active lifestyle.” Funding for the research came from the Centers for Disease Control, which provided a 3-year, $400,000 grant, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which provided a 1-year, $350,000 grant. Researchers may have initial data after one year, Brownson says. The team will likely apply for a larger, multiyear grant for the National Institutes of Health after the first year. Brownson is working with coprincipal investigators Christine Hoehner of St. Louis University, Lawrence Frank of Lawrence Frank and Company, Susan Handy at the University of California at Davis, Jim Hill at University of Colorado, and Sherry Ryan at the San Diego State University.