Technology & Innovation Archives - Page 7 of 20

Lingzi Wu

Lingzi Wu is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Construction Management (CM) at the University of Washington (UW). Prior to joining UW in September 2022, Dr. Wu served as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Alberta, where she received her MSc and PhD in Construction Engineering and Management in 2013 and 2020 respectively. Prior to her PhD, Dr. Wu worked in the industrial construction sector as a project coordinator with PCL Industrial Management from 2013 to 2017.

An interdisciplinary scholar focused on advancing digital transformation in construction, Dr. Wu’s current research interests include (1) integration of advanced data analytics and complex system modeling to enhance construction practices and (2) development of human-in-the-loop decision support systems to improve construction performance (e.g., sustainability and safety). Dr. Wu has published 10 papers in top journals and conference proceedings, including the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, and Automation in Construction. Her research and academic excellence has received notable recognition, including a “Best Paper Award” at the 17th International Conference on Modeling and Applied Simulation, and the outstanding reviewer award from the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management.

As an educator and mentor, Dr. Wu aims to create an inclusive, innovative, and interactive learning environment where students develop personal, technical, and transferable skills to grow today, tomorrow, and into the future.

Narjes Abbasabadi

Narjes Abbasabadi, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Washington. Dr. Abbasabadi also leads the Sustainable Intelligence Lab. Abbasabadi’s research centers on sustainability and computation in the built environment. Much of her work focuses on advancing design research efforts through developing data-driven methods, workflows, and tools that leverage the advances in digital technologies to enable augmented intelligence in performance-based and human-centered design. With an emphasis on multi-scale exploration, her research investigates urban building energy flows, human systems, and environmental and health impacts across scales—from the scale of building to the scale of neighborhood and city.

Abbasabadi’s research has been published in premier journals, including Applied Energy, Building and Environment, Energy and Buildings, Environmental Research, and Sustainable Cities and Society. She received honors and awards, including “ARCC Dissertation Award Honorable Mention” (Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC), 2020), “Best Ph.D. Program Dissertation Award” (IIT CoA, 2019), and 2nd place in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Race to Zero Design Competition (DOE, 2018). In 2018, she organized the 3rd IIT International Symposium on Buildings, Cities, and Performance. She served as editor of the third issue of Prometheus Journal, which received the 2020 Haskell Award from AIA New York, Center for Architecture.

Prior to joining the University of Washington, she taught at the University of Texas at Arlington and the Illinois Institute of Technology. She also has practiced with several firms and institutions and led design research projects such as developing design codes and prototypes for low-carbon buildings. Most recently, she practiced as an architect with Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG), where she has been involved in major projects, including the 2020 World Expo. Abbasabadi holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Architecture from Tehran Azad University.

Walking Objectively Measured: Classifying Accelerometer Data with GPS and Travel Diaries

Kang, Bumjoon; Moudon, Anne V.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Reichley, Lucas; Saelens, Brian E. (2013). Walking Objectively Measured: Classifying Accelerometer Data with GPS and Travel Diaries. Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise, 45(7), 1419 – 1428.

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Abstract

Purpose: This study developed and tested an algorithm to classify accelerometer data as walking or nonwalking using either GPS or travel diary data within a large sample of adults under free-living conditions. Methods: Participants wore an accelerometer and a GPS unit and concurrently completed a travel diary for seven consecutive days. Physical activity (PA) bouts were identified using accelerometry count sequences. PA bouts were then classified as walking or nonwalking based on a decision-tree algorithm consisting of seven classification scenarios. Algorithm reliability was examined relative to two independent analysts' classification of a 100-bout verification sample. The algorithm was then applied to the entire set of PA bouts. Results: The 706 participants' (mean age = 51 yr, 62% female, 80% non-Hispanic white, 70% college graduate or higher) yielded 4702 person-days of data and had a total of 13,971 PA bouts. The algorithm showed a mean agreement of 95% with the independent analysts. It classified PA into 8170 walking bouts (58.5 %) and 5337 nonwalking bouts (38.2%); 464 bouts (3.3%) were not classified for lack of GPS and diary data. Nearly 70% of the walking bouts and 68% of the nonwalking bouts were classified using only the objective accelerometer and GPS data. Travel diary data helped classify 30% of all bouts with no GPS data. The mean + SD duration of PA bouts classified as walking was 15.2 + 12.9 min. On average, participants had 1.7 walking bouts and 25.4 total walking minutes per day. Conclusions: GPS and travel diary information can be helpful in classifying most accelerometer-derived PA bouts into walking or nonwalking behavior.

Keywords

Walking; Algorithms; Decision Trees; Geographic Information Systems; Research Funding; Travel; Accelerometry; Diary (literary Form); Descriptive Statistics; Algorithm; Classification; Physical Activity; Walk Trip; Global Positioning Systems; Physical-activity; Environment; Behaviors; Validity; Location

Glareshade: A Visual Comfort-Based Approach to Occupant-Centric Shading Systems

Hashemloo, Alireza; Inanici, Mehlika; Meek, Christopher. (2016). Glareshade: A Visual Comfort-Based Approach to Occupant-Centric Shading Systems. Journal Of Building Performance Simulation, 9(4), 351 – 365.

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Abstract

This paper presents a novel method for designing of an occupant-centric shading algorithm that utilizes visual comfort metric as the form-generating criteria. Based on the premise of previous studies that demonstrate glare as the most important factor for operating shading devices, GlareShade is introduced as a simulation-based shading methodology driven by occupant's visual comfort. GlareShade not only responds to changing outdoor conditions such as the movement of the sun and the variation of cloud cover, but it also accounts for building specific local conditions. GlareShade draws its strength and flexibility from an occupant-centric approach that is based on the visual field of view of each occupant as the occupant is performing common visual tasks in a given environment, and the developed shading system is linked to a distributed sensing network of multiple occupants. ShadeFan is demonstrated as a proof-of-concept dynamic shading system utilizing the GlareShade method.

Keywords

Control Strategies; Design Tool; Daylight; Patterns; Offices; Blinds; Model; Occupant-centric Shading System; Glare; Daylighting; Visual Comfort

Capturing Fine-Scale Travel Behaviors: A Comparative Analysis between Personal Activity Location Measurement System (PALMS) and Travel Diary

Kang, Mingyu; Moudon, Anne V.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Saelens, Brian E. (2018). Capturing Fine-Scale Travel Behaviors: A Comparative Analysis between Personal Activity Location Measurement System (PALMS) and Travel Diary. International Journal Of Health Geographics, 17(1).

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Abstract

BackgroundDevice-collected data from GPS and accelerometers for identifying active travel behaviors have dramatically changed research methods in transportation planning and public health. Automated algorithms have helped researchers to process large datasets with likely fewer errors than found in other collection methods (e.g., self-report travel diary). In this study, we compared travel modes identified by a commonly used automated algorithm (PALMS) that integrates GPS and accelerometer data with those obtained from travel diary estimates.MethodsSixty participants, who made 2100 trips during seven consecutive days of data collection, were selected from among the baseline sample of a project examining the travel behavior impact of a new light rail system in the greater Seattle, WA (USA) area. GPS point level analyses were first conducted to compare trip/place and travel mode detection results using contingency tables. Trip level analyses were then performed to investigate the effect of proportions of time overlap between travel logs and device-collected data on agreement rates. Global performance (with all subjects' data combined) and subject-level performance of the algorithm were compared at the trip level.ResultsAt the GPS point level, the overall agreement rate of travel mode detection was 77.4% between PALMS and the travel diary. The agreement rate for vehicular trip detection (84.5%) was higher than for bicycling (53.5%) and walking (58.2%). At the trip level, the global performance and subject-level performance of the PALMS algorithm were 46.4% and 42.4%, respectively. Vehicular trip detection showed highest agreement rates in all analyses. Study participants' primary travel mode and car ownership were significantly related to the subject-level mode agreement rates.ConclusionsThe PALMS algorithm showed moderate identification power at the GPS point level. However, trip level analyses found lower agreement rates between PALMS and travel diary data, especially for active transportation. Testing different PALMS parameter settings may serve to improve the detection of active travel and help expand PALMS's applicability in geographically different urbanized areas with a variety of travel modes.

Keywords

Transportation Planning; Public Health; Accelerometers; Global Positioning System; Voyages & Travels; Cycling; Algorithms; Accelerometer; Automated Algorithm; Gis; Gps; Places; Trips; Global Positioning Systems; Physical-activity; Data-collection; Health Research; Gps Data; Accelerometry; Validity

Rebaselining Asset Data for Existing Facilities and Infrastructure

Abdirad, Hamid; Dossick, Carrie Sturts. (2020). Rebaselining Asset Data for Existing Facilities and Infrastructure. Journal Of Computing In Civil Engineering, 34(1).

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Abstract

This paper introduces rebaselining as a workflow for collecting reliable and verifiable asset management data for existing facilities and infrastructure. Reporting on two action research case studies with two public owners in the US, this research structures rebaselining in four phases: (1) preparing technology enablers, (2) collecting data from existing documents, (3) conducting field verification, and (4) updating asset management databases. These workflows address some of the common challenges in managing existing assets, including the fast-paced changes in asset data requirements, the inaccuracies in data and documentation of these existing assets portfolios, and the need to update data and documents over their life cycle. The findings set the groundwork for implementing workflow by mapping the rebaselining business processes in each phase, listing the technological requirements for these processes, and explaining the feasibility and examples of customizing building information modeling (BIM) platforms for rebaselining workflows. This customization of BIM platforms aims to offer simplified solutions that reduce the facility management staff's need for advanced BIM software knowledge.

Keywords

Asset Management; Building Management Systems; Business Data Processing; Database Management Systems; Facilities Management; Production Engineering Computing; Project Management; Risk Analysis; Software Tools; Reliable Asset Management Data; Verifiable Asset Management Data; Action Research Case Studies; Public Owners; Research Structures; Technology Enablers; Asset Management Databases; Facility Management Staff; Rebaselining Workflows; Technological Requirements; Rebaselining Business Processes; Existing Assets Portfolios; Documentation; Asset Data Requirements; Managing Existing Assets; Information; Bim; Existing Buildings; Infrastructure; Asset Data; Rebaselining

Association of Neighborhood Physical Activity Opportunities with Incident Cardiovascular Disease in the Cardiovascular Health Study

Garg, Parveen K.; Platt, Jonathan M.; Hirsch, Jana A.; Hurvitz, Philip; Rundle, Andrew; Biggs, Mary Lou; Psaty, Bruce M.; Moore, Kari; Lovasi, Gina S. (2021). Association of Neighborhood Physical Activity Opportunities with Incident Cardiovascular Disease in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Health & Place, 70.

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Abstract

We determined associations of cumulative exposures to neighborhood physical activity opportunities with risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD). We included 3595 participants from the Cardiovascular Health Study recruited between 1989 and 1993 (mean age = 73; 60% women; 11% black). Neighborhood environment measures were calculated using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and annual information from the National Establishment Time Series database, including the density of (1) walking destinations and (2) physical activity/ recreational facilities in a 1- and 5-km radius around the respondent's home. Incident CVD was defined as the development of myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiovascular death and associations with time to incident CVD were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. A total of 1986 incident CVD cases occurred over a median follow-up of 11.2 years. After adjusting for baseline and time-varying individual and neighborhood-level confounding, a one standard deviation increase in walking destinations and physical activity/recreational facilities within 5 km of home was associated with a respective 7% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.87-0.99) and 12% (95% CI = 0.73-1.0) decreased risk of incident CVD. No significant associations were noted within a 1-km radius. Efforts to improve the availability of physical activity resources in neighborhoods may be an important strategy for lowering CVD.

Keywords

Cardiovascular Diseases; Physical Activity; Proportional Hazards Models; Geographic Information Systems; Recreation Centers; Built Environment; Cardiovascular Disease; Coronary-heart-disease; Census Tract Data; Older-adults; Longitudinal Associations; Risk; Resources; Time; Atherosclerosis; Survival

Global Urban Environmental Change Drives Adaptation in White Clover

Santangelo, James S.; Ness, Rob W.; Cohan, Beata; Fitzpatrick, Connor R.; Innes, Simon G.; Koch, Sophie; Miles, Lindsay S.; Munim, Samreen; Peres-neto, Pedro R.; Prashad, Cindy; Tong, Alex T.; Aguirre, Windsor E.; Akinwole, Philips O.; Alberti, Marina; Alvarez, Jackie; Anderson, Jill T.; Anderson, Joseph J.; Ando, Yoshino; Andrew, Nigel R.; Angeoletto, Fabio; Anstett, Daniel N.; Anstett, Julia; Aoki-goncalves, Felipe; Arietta, A. Z. Andis; Arroyo, Mary T. K.; Austen, Emily J.; Baena-diaz, Fernanda; Barker, Cory A.; Baylis, Howard A.; Beliz, Julia M.; Benitez-mora, Alfonso; Bickford, David; Biedebach, Gabriela; Blackburn, Gwylim S.; Boehm, Mannfred M. A.; Bonser, Stephen P.; Bonte, Dries; Bragger, Jesse R.; Branquinho, Cristina; Brans, Kristien, I; Bresciano, Jorge C.; Brom, Peta D.; Bucharova, Anna; Burt, Briana; Cahill, James F.; Campbell, Katelyn D.; Carlen, Elizabeth J.; Carmona, Diego; Castellanos, Maria Clara; Centenaro, Giada; Chalen, Izan; Chaves, Jaime A.; Chavez-pesqueira, Mariana; Chen, Xiao-yong; Chilton, Angela M.; Chomiak, Kristina M.; Cisneros-heredia, Diego F.; Cisse, Ibrahim K.; Classen, Aimee T.; Comerford, Mattheau S.; Fradinger, Camila Cordoba; Corney, Hannah; Crawford, Andrew J.; Crawford, Kerri M.; Dahirel, Maxime; David, Santiago; De Haan, Robert; Deacon, Nicholas J.; Dean, Clare; Del-val, Ek; Deligiannis, Eleftherios K.; Denney, Derek; Dettlaff, Margarete A.; Dileo, Michelle F.; Ding, Yuan-yuan; Dominguez-lopez, Moises E.; Dominoni, Davide M.; Draud, Savannah L.; Dyson, Karen; Ellers, Jacintha; Espinosa, Carlos, I; Essi, Liliana; Falahati-anbaran, Mohsen; Falcao, Jessica C. F.; Fargo, Hayden T.; Fellowes, Mark D. E.; Fitzpatrick, Raina M.; Flaherty, Leah E.; Flood, Padraic J.; Flores, Maria F.; Fornoni, Juan; Foster, Amy G.; Frost, Christopher J.; Fuentes, Tracy L.; Fulkerson, Justin R.; Gagnon, Edeline; Garbsch, Frauke; Garroway, Colin J.; Gerstein, Aleeza C.; Giasson, Mischa M.; Girdler, E. Binney; Gkelis, Spyros; Godsoe, William; Golemiec, Anneke M.; Golemiec, Mireille; Gonzalez-lagos, Cesar; Gorton, Amanda J.; Gotanda, Kiyoko M.; Granath, Gustaf; Greiner, Stephan; Griffiths, Joanna S.; Grilo, Filipa; Gundel, Pedro E.; Hamilton, Benjamin; Hardin, Joyce M.; He, Tianhua; Heard, Stephen B.; Henriques, Andre F.; Hernandez-poveda, Melissa; Hetherington-rauth, Molly C.; Hill, Sarah J.; Hochuli, Dieter F.; Hodgins, Kathryn A.; Hood, Glen R.; Hopkins, Gareth R.; Hovanes, Katherine A.; Howard, Ava R.; Hubbard, Sierra C.; Ibarra-cerdena, Carlos N.; Iniguez-armijos, Carlos; Jara-arancio, Paola; Jarrett, Benjamin J. M.; Jeannot, Manon; Jimenez-lobato, Vania; Johnson, Mae; Johnson, Oscar; Johnson, Philip P.; Johnson, Reagan; Josephson, Matthew P.; Jung, Meen Chel; Just, Michael G.; Kahilainen, Aapo; Kailing, Otto S.; Karinho-betancourt, Eunice; Karousou, Regina; Kirn, Lauren A.; Kirschbaum, Anna; Laine, Anna-liisa; Lamontagne, Jalene M.; Lampei, Christian; Lara, Carlos; Larson, Erica L.; Lazaro-lobo, Adrian; Le, Jennifer H.; Leandro, Deleon S.; Lee, Christopher; Lei, Yunting; Leon, Carolina A.; Tamara, Manuel E. Lequerica; Levesque, Danica C.; Liao, Wan-jin; Ljubotina, Megan; Locke, Hannah; Lockett, Martin T.; Longo, Tiffany C.; Lundholm, Jeremy T.; Macgillavry, Thomas; Mackin, Christopher R.; Mahmoud, Alex R.; Manju, Isaac A.; Marien, Janine; Martinez, D. Nayeli; Martinez-bartolome, Marina; Meineke, Emily K.; Mendoza-arroyo, Wendy; Merritt, Thomas J. S.; Merritt, Lila Elizabeth L.; Migiani, Giuditta; Minor, Emily S.; Mitchell, Nora; Bazargani, Mitra Mohammadi; Moles, Angela T.; Monk, Julia D.; Moore, Christopher M.; Morales-morales, Paula A.; Moyers, Brook T.; Munoz-rojas, Miriam; Munshi-south, Jason; Murphy, Shannon M.; Murua, Maureen M.; Neila, Melisa; Nikolaidis, Ourania; Njunji, Iva; Nosko, Peter; Nunez-farfan, Juan; Ohgushi, Takayuki; Olsen, Kenneth M.; Opedal, Oystein H.; Ornelas, Cristina; Parachnowitsch, Amy L.; Paratore, Aaron S.; Parody-merino, Angela M.; Paule, Juraj; Paulo, Octavio S.; Pena, Joao Carlos; Pfeiffer, Vera W.; Pinho, Pedro; Piot, Anthony; Porth, Ilga M.; Poulos, Nicholas; Puentes, Adriana; Qu, Jiao; Quintero-vallejo, Estela; Raciti, Steve M.; Raeymaekers, Joost A. M.; Raveala, Krista M.; Rennison, Diana J.; Ribeiro, Milton C.; Richardson, Jonathan L.; Rivas-torres, Gonzalo; Rivera, Benjamin J.; Roddy, Adam B.; Rodriguez-munoz, Erika; Roman, Jose Raul; Rossi, Laura S.; Rowntree, Jennifer K.; Ryan, Travis J.; Salinas, Santiago; Sanders, Nathan J.; Santiago-rosario, Luis Y.; Savage, Amy M.; Scheepens, J. F.; Schilthuizen, Menno; Schneider, Adam C.; Scholier, Tiffany; Scott, Jared L.; Shaheed, Summer A.; Shefferson, Richard P.; Shepard, Caralee A.; Shykoff, Jacqui A.; Silveira, Georgianna; Smith, Alexis D.; Solis-gabriel, Lizet; Soro, Antonella; Spellman, Katie, V; Whitney, Kaitlin Stack; Starke-ottich, Indra; Stephan, Jorg G.; Stephens, Jessica D.; Szulc, Justyna; Szulkin, Marta; Tack, Ayco J. M.; Tamburrino, Italo; Tate, Tayler D.; Tergemina, Emmanuel; Theodorou, Panagiotis; Thompson, Ken A.; Threlfall, Caragh G.; Tinghitella, Robin M.; Toledo-chelala, Lilibeth; Tong, Xin; Uroy, Lea; Utsumi, Shunsuke; Vandegehuchte, Martijn L.; Vanwallendael, Acer; Vidal, Paula M.; Wadgymar, Susana M.; Wang, Ai-ying; Wang, Nian; Warbrick, Montana L.; Whitney, Kenneth D.; Wiesmeier, Miriam; Wiles, J. Tristian; Wu, Jianqiang; Xirocostas, Zoe A.; Yan, Zhaogui; Yao, Jiahe; Yoder, Jeremy B.; Yoshida, Owen; Zhang, Jingxiong; Zhao, Zhigang; Ziter, Carly D.; Zuellig, Matthew P.; Zufall, Rebecca A.; Zurita, Juan E.; Zytynska, Sharon E.; Johnson, Marc T. J. (2022). Global Urban Environmental Change Drives Adaptation in White Clover. Science, 375(6586), 1275+.

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Abstract

Urbanization transforms environments in ways that alter biological evolution. We examined whether urban environmental change drives parallel evolution by sampling 110,019 white clover plants from 6169 populations in 160 cities globally. Plants were assayed for a Mendelian antiherbivore defense that also affects tolerance to abiotic stressors. Urban-rural gradients were associated with the evolution of clines in defense in 47% of cities throughout the world. Variation in the strength of clines was explained by environmental changes in drought stress and vegetation cover that varied among cities. Sequencing 2074 genomes from 26 cities revealed that the evolution of urban-rural dines was best explained by adaptive evolution, but the degree of parallel adaptation varied among cities. Our results demonstrate that urbanization leads to adaptation at a global scale.

Keywords

Surface Temperature Retrieval; Cyanogenesis Clines; Hydrogen-cyanide; Gene Flow; F-st; Evolution; Polymorphism; Emissivity; Discovery; Framework; Drought; Urban Environments; Urbanization; Environmental Changes; Herbivory; Urban Development; Adaptation; Chemical Defense; Urban Areas; Data Collection; Trifolium Repens

Environmental Impacts Comparison between On-site vs. Prefabricated Just-in-Time (Prefab-JIT) Rebar Supply in Construction Projects

Kim, Yong-Woo; Azari-N, Rahman; Yi, June-Seong; Bae, Jinwoo. (2013). Environmental Impacts Comparison between On-site vs. Prefabricated Just-in-Time (Prefab-JIT) Rebar Supply in Construction Projects. Journal Of Civil Engineering And Management, 19(5), 647 – 655.

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Abstract

In the on-site rebar delivery system, as the common method of rebar supply in the construction industry, reinforced steel bars are delivered in large batches from supplier's facilities through contractor's warehouse to the construction site. Rebars are then fabricated on-site and installed after assembly. In the new delivery system, called prefabrication Just-In-Time (prefab-JIT) system, the off-site cut and bend along with frequent rebar delivery to the site are applied in order to improve the process and increase its efficiency. The main objective of this paper is to assess and compare the environmental impacts resulting from the air emissions associated with the two rebar delivery systems in a case study construction project. Environmental impact categories of interest include global warming, acidification, eutrophication, and smog formation. A process-based cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment methodology is applied to perform the analysis. The results show that the prefab-JIT rebar delivery system causes less contribution to all mentioned environmental impact categories compared with a traditional on-site delivery system.

Keywords

Environmental Impact Analysis; Comparative Studies; Microfabrication; Construction Industry; Reinforcing Bars; Contractors; Product Life Cycle; Environmental Impacts; Life Cycle; On-site Rebar Delivery System; Prefab-jit; Bars; Contracts; Global Warming; Just-in-time; Prefabricated Construction; Product Life Cycle Management; Project Management; Rebar; Steel; Warehousing; Waste Reduction; Smog Formation; Eutrophication; Acidification; Air Emissions; Prefab-jit System; Construction Site; Contractors Warehouse; Reinforced Steel Bars; Construction Projects; Prefabricated Just-in-time Rebar Supply; Environmental Impacts Comparison; Process-based Cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment Methodology; Energy; Products; Wood

Secondary GIS Built Environment Data for Health Research: Guidance for Data Development

Stewart, Orion T.; Carlos, Heather A.; Lee, Chanam; Berke, Ethan M.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Li, Li; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Doescher, Mark P. (2016). Secondary GIS Built Environment Data for Health Research: Guidance for Data Development. Journal Of Transport & Health, 3(4), 529 – 539.

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Abstract

Built environment (BE) data in geographic information system (GIS) format are increasingly available from public agencies and private providers. These data can provide objective, low-cost BE data over large regions and are often used in public health research and surveillance. Yet challenges exist in repurposing GIS data for health research. The GIS data do not always capture desired constructs; the data can be of varying quality and completeness; and the data definitions, structures, and spatial representations are often inconsistent across sources. Using the Small Town Walkability study as an illustration, we describe (a) the range of BE characteristics measurable in a GIS that may be associated with active living, (b) the availability of these data across nine U.S. small towns, (c) inconsistencies in the GIS BE data that were available, and (d) strategies for developing accurate, complete, and consistent GIS BE data appropriate for research. Based on a conceptual framework and existing literature, objectively measurable characteristics of the BE potentially related to active living were classified under nine domains: generalized land uses, morphology, density, destinations, transportation system, traffic conditions, neighborhood behavioral conditions, economic environment, and regional location. At least some secondary GIS data were available across all nine towns for seven of the 9 BE domains. Data representing high-resolution or behavioral aspects of the BE were often not available. Available GIS BE data - especially tax parcel data often contained varying attributes and levels of detail across sources. When GIS BE data were available from multiple sources, the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of the data could be reasonable ensured for use in research. But this required careful attention to the definition and spatial representation of the BE characteristic of interest. Manipulation of the secondary source data was often required, which was facilitated through protocols. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Geographic Information-systems; Physical-activity; Land-use; Walking; Neighborhood; Associations; Density; Design; Adults; Travel; Active Travel; Pedestrian; Urban Design; Community Health; Rural