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Research Theme: Land Use & Planning

From the scales of the building to the region; includes transportation, housing, infrastructure, community, ecology

Geospatial and Contextual Approaches to Energy Balance and Health

Berrigan, David; Hipp, J. Aaron; Hurvitz, Philip M.; James, Peter; Jankowska, Marta M.; Kerr, Jacqueline; Laden, Francine; Leonard, Tammy; Mckinnon, Robin A.; Powell-wiley, Tiffany M.; Tarlov, Elizabeth; Zenk, Shannon N.; The Trec Spatial And Contextual Measures And Modeling Work Group. (2015). Geospatial and Contextual Approaches to Energy Balance and Health. Annals Of Gis, 21(2), 157 – 168.

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Abstract

In the past 15 years, a major research enterprise has emerged that is aimed at understanding associations between geographic and contextual features of the environment (especially the built environment) and elements of human energy balance, including diet, weight and physical activity. Here we highlight aspects of this research area with a particular focus on research and opportunities in the United States as an example. We address four main areas: (1) the importance of valid and comparable data concerning behaviour across geographies; (2) the ongoing need to identify and explore new environmental variables; (3) the challenge of identifying the causally relevant context; and (4) the pressing need for stronger study designs and analytical methods. Additionally, we discuss existing sources of geo-referenced health data which might be exploited by interdisciplinary research teams, personnel challenges and some aspects of funding for geospatial research by the US National Institutes of Health in the past decade, including funding for international collaboration and training opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Annals of GIS is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Keywords

Bioenergetics; Geospatial Data; Contextual Analysis; Physical Activity; Obesity; Contextual; Energy Balance; Geospatial; Spatial

Physical Activity and the Built Environment in Residential Neighborhoods of Seoul and Seattle: An Empirical Study Based on Housewives’ GPS Walking Data and Travel Diaries

Park, Sohyun; Choi, Yeemyung; Seo, Hanlim; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Bae, C. -h. Christine; Baek, So-ra. (2016). Physical Activity and the Built Environment in Residential Neighborhoods of Seoul and Seattle: An Empirical Study Based on Housewives’ GPS Walking Data and Travel Diaries. Journal Of Asian Architecture And Building Engineering, 15(3), 471 – 478.

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Abstract

This paper is based on a collaborative pilot-study to ascertain the characteristic walking patterns and neighborhood features in residential areas of Seoul, Korea and Seattle, USA. As for sample sites, four case neighborhoods were selected: two from Seoul and two from in and outside of the Seattle-Shoreline areas. As for participants, thirty Korean housewives in Seoul and thirty Korean-American housewives in the Seattle area were selected respectively, and their socio-demographic characteristics, GPS records, and travel diary data for seven days were collected and analyzed. Considering the typical rainy seasons in the two cities, data collections, including the physical activity assessment by GPS devices, were carried out from May to June and from September to October in Seoul, and from July to October in Seattle during the year 2010. Noteworthy research findings include the following: Korean participants in Seoul walk about 2.6 km on average per day, while Korean-American participants in Seattle walk about 400m on average per day. In the case sites of Seoul, 75% of grocery shopping activities happen within the neighborhood by walking, while only 17% of those activities on foot happen in the case sites of Seattle. As for the most walking activity, about 70% of total walking amounts are related to utilitarian walking in Seoul sites, while 50% of total walking are related to recreational walking in Seattle sites. Recreational walking and utilitarian walking occur separately in Seattle sites, while the two walking types are often combined in Seoul sites, which also contribute to more walking amounts and farther walking distances in Seoul sites. This paper empirically confirms the widely held assumptions in part that residents in Seoul, a relatively high-density and high mixed-use city, walk more than those in Seattle, a relatively low-density and low mixed-use city. This paper also recognizes that in the case of both cities, more walking activities occur in the neighborhood built environment, where finely-grained street networks, small lots and blocks, various pedestrian destinations, public transit access, etc are provided in close connection. The amount and frequency of walking activities, as well as the fineness of neighborhood features, however, are remarkably different in the two cities, whose implications deserve in-depth exploration in further studies.

Keywords

Urban Design; Physical Activity; Neighborhood Environment; Objective Measures; Gps Walking Data; International Comparative Study

GPS or Travel Diary: Comparing Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Visits to Fast Food Restaurants and Supermarkets

Scully, Jason Y.; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Aggarwal, Anju; Drewnowski, Adam. (2017). GPS or Travel Diary: Comparing Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Visits to Fast Food Restaurants and Supermarkets. Plos One, 12(4).

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Abstract

To assess differences between GPS and self-reported measures of location, we examined visits to fast food restaurants and supermarkets using a spatiotemporal framework. Data came from 446 participants who responded to a survey, filled out travel diaries of places visited, and wore a GPS receiver for seven consecutive days. Provided by Public Health Seattle King County, addresses from food permit data were matched to King County tax assessor parcels in a GIS. A three-step process was used to verify travel-diary reported visits using GPS records: (1) GPS records were temporally matched if their timestamps were within the time window created by the arrival and departure times reported in the travel diary; (2) the temporally matched GPS records were then spatially matched if they were located in a food establishment parcel of the same type reported in the diary; (3) the travel diary visit was then GPS-sensed if the name of food establishment in the parcel matched the one reported in the travel diary. To account for errors in reporting arrival and departure times, GPS records were temporally matched to three time windows: the exact time, +/-10 minutes, and +/-30 minutes. One third of the participants reported 273 visits to fast food restaurants; 88% reported 1,102 visits to supermarkets. Of these, 77.3 percent of the fast food and 78.6 percent supermarket visits were GPS-sensed using the +/-10-minute time window. At this time window, the mean travel-diary reported fast food visit duration was 14.5 minutes (SD 20.2), 1.7 minutes longer than the GPS-sensed visit. For supermarkets, the reported visit duration was 23.7 minutes (SD 18.9), 3.4 minutes longer than the GPS-sensed visit. Travel diaries provide reasonably accurate information on the locations and brand names of fast food restaurants and supermarkets participants report visiting.

Keywords

Global Positioning System; Fast Food Restaurants; Self-evaluation; Public Health; Supermarkets; Geoinformatics; Comparative Studies; Biology And Life Sciences; Computer And Information Sciences; Diet; Earth Sciences; Eating; Engineering And Technology; Food; Food Consumption; Geographic Information Systems; Geography; Medicine And Health Sciences; Nutrition; Physiological Processes; Physiology; Public And Occupational Health; Research And Analysis Methods; Research Article; Research Design; Survey Research; Surveys; Transportation; Global Positioning Systems; Environment; Neighborhood; Exposure; Health; Consumption; Tracking; Adults; Associations; Dietary

Protecting Neighbourhood Character While Allowing Growth? Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District, Seattle, Washington. Planning Perspectives

Kuriyama, Naoko; Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl. (2021). Protecting Neighbourhood Character While Allowing Growth? Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District, Seattle, Washington. Planning Perspectives, 36(6), 1195 – 1223.

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Abstract

The City of Seattle created the Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District in 2009 to preserve the character of the Pike/Pine Corridor (neighbourhood) while simultaneously accommodating substantial growth in the number of residents and the size of buildings. Pike/Pine is known for its adaptively reused collection of early twentieth century 'Auto Row' buildings and for the diversity of its population. Since the year 2000, proximity to downtown has made this area attractive for development, and the city has designated Pike/Pine as a growth centre in its comprehensive plan. The city's implementation of the Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District (one of the first uses of a conservation district in a commercial/mixed-use neighbourhood in the United States) seeks to address the conflict inherent in accommodating growth while simultaneously trying to protect older architecture, small-scale local businesses, and a diverse mix of housing. This article analyses the elements and impacts of this unusual district, considering its application of facade retention for townscape conservation as well as analysing its broad approach within the framework of integrated conservation. This article argues that the Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District offers a useful case study for other cities looking to support growth while also retaining elements of the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Planning Perspectives is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Keywords

Pine; Neighborhoods; Urban Growth; Twentieth Century; Transportation Corridors; Seattle (wash.); Conservation District; Design Review; Facadism; Historic Preservation; Integrated Conservation; Overlay District; Pike/pine Corridor; Seattle; Washington

2022 CBE Inspire Fund awardees announced

In 2021 the College of Built Environments launched the CBE Inspire Fund, designed to support CBE research activities for which a relatively small amount of support can be transformative. The second year of awards have just been announced, supporting five projects across 4 departments within the college as they address topics such as food sovereignty, anti-displacement, affordable housing, and health & wellbeing. This year’s awardees include:  Defining the New Diaspora: Where Seattle’s Black Church Congregants Are Moving and Why Rachel…

Rebecca Habtour

Research Interests: Designing built environments to enhance human happiness, and related principles: Justice, Nature Integration, Access, Identity, Well-Being, Resiliency.

Hyein Chae

I have a strong interest in urban conservation, which aims to enhance sustainability in old urban areas physically, economically, and socially. I would like to study management of changes in old (historic) urban areas, specifically focusing on creative approaches such as adaptive reuse projects, contemporary designs, and long-standing communities. In addition, I am also interested in urbanism issues in developing countries in East Asia, international preservation principals, gentrification, public places.

Helen Beck

My research is focused on the management of public park and recreation services in urban areas. I am particularly interested in the role of the modern green space manager and the way in which our public park services are delivered in the face of extreme poverty. Public parks are on the frontline in our cities responding to complex social and environmental challenges. This role is likely to get more important in the future. Short-term, broken window styles of park management that try to control and sanitize park use are not sustainable. I am exploring the application of an ethic of care to the delivery of park services, what this could entail and how this would change current practice.

Ziyang Liu

Research Interests: Urban resilience, disaster risk reduction, climate change, community engagement.