Effects of relocation to a mixed-use
development on physical activity
and transportation patterns
Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH
University of Pennsylvania
Background
 Most adults do not meet
recommended levels of physical
p y
activity
 Sedentary lifestyles contribute to
obesity, overweight and chronic
disease
 Neighborhood environments that
June 2011
National Healthy Homes Conference
encourage walking can play a role
in increasing physical activity and
promoting health
Previous Research
 Physical activity was 50% higher among residents
in highly walkable neighborhoods compared to
those in less walkable neighborhoods (Saelens et
al., 2003)
 Residents in “new
new urbanist”
urbanist neighborhoods spent
more time being physically active in their
neighborhood, made more walking and cycling
trips, and made fewer car trips than residents in
suburban developments (Rodriguez et al., 2006)
ASHS: Funded by
y CDC as a supplement
pp
to the
Emory Prevention Research Center core grant
1
Atlantic Station
About Atlantic Station
Then…..
Mixed use development
A ““city
it within
ithi a city”
it ”
in downtown Atlanta
138 acre redevelopment
of the former Atlantic
Steel Mill
and now!
Atlantic Station Redevelopment
 6 million sq. ft. of office space
 3,000
3 000 – 5,000
5 000 residential
id ti l units
it
 2 million sq. ft. of retail and
Atlantic Station
Mixed use development
A ““city
it within
ithi a city”
it ”
in downtown Atlanta
entertainment space
 1,000 hotel rooms
 11 acres of public parks
“Island”
aspects of
Atlantic Station
2
Study Design
Hypothesis:
Does…


Physical activity happen here?
Non-motorized travel happen here?
Conceptual Framework
Cross sectional study of physical activity,
t
travel,
l and
d eating
ti b
behaviors
h i
off current/new
t/
Atlantic Station residents (ASHS) compare to self-report data on previous
residence
Atlantic Station Health Study
Contributing Factors
Individual factors
Relocation to a mixed use environment
promotes physical activity and
pedestrian-oriented travel
Outcomes
Outco
es
•Demographics
•Attitudes
•Behaviors
Atlanta 30363
Atlanta...30363
Physical activity
Social / community factors
•Community resources for physical
activity, social / community activities
•Social support
Travel behavior
Environmental attributes
•Neighborhood design
(e.g., land use, sidewalks, density)
Supported by Grant # U48/DP000043-03 from the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
3
Study Hypothesis & Design Plan
Hypothesis:
yp
Relocation to a mixed use residential
environment promotes physical activity and
pedestrian-oriented travel
Longitudinal study: Before and after moving to
Atlantic Station (natural experiment)
 Participants serve as own controls
 Collect survey and objective data while living in
pre-move neighborhood and again in Atlantic
Station
Time frame: began recruitment May 2007
Modified Study Design
Current residents study:
y Cross-sectional studyy to
compare reports of physical activity and travel
behaviors from previous residence to Atlantic Station
 Participants serve as own controls
 Collect survey and objective data one time, when
living in Atlantic Station
 Survey includes recall data for previous
neighborhood
Time frame: began recruitment February 2008
Study Design:
Challenges & Modifications
Challenges
g of longitudinal
g
study
y
 Slow housing market
 Difficulties obtaining contact information from
realtors
Very
e y sslow
o recruitment
ec u t e t
Decision to change study design
Data Collection
Self-Report Measures
Survey
Travel and Physical Activity Log
Built Environment Measures
•Density,
Density land use mix
mix,
destinations, sidewalks, etc.
Nutrition Environment –
NEMS-S and NEMS-R
4
Data Collection:
Self-Report Measures
Date
Month
/
Day
/
Year
ATLANTIC STATION HEALTH STUDY
Marking Instructions
Date
/
/
Please use a black or blue ballpoint pen. Correct
Incorrect  
If yyou need to change
g an answer, p
please cross out any
y mistakes.
This questionnaire asks about your neighborhood and your physical activity and travel habits before and
after you moved to Atlantic Station. This information will help us understand your thoughts and
perspectives about your neighborhood environment. All information will be kept private and confidential.
About Your Previous Neighborhood Where you lived before you moved to Atlantic Station
Please answer the questions in this section thinking about the neighborhood where you lived before you
moved to Atlantic Station and your physical activity and travel behaviors when you lived there.
1. Where did you live before you moved to Atlantic Station?
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
2. How long did you live at this address?
years
OR
ASHS Current Residents
months
Page 1
Data Collection:
Objective Measures
Survey
GPS
 Attitudes
 Behaviors
 Demographics
 Records location and speed of travel
 Wear or carry whenever outside
3522639640
Travel and Physical Activity Log
 Time of trips
 Destination
 Mode of travel
 Activities performed there
GPS Data and Travel Surveys

Most trip attributes can be derived from GPS
data and other supporting information
Accelerometry
 Records activity level and step
count
 Wear on belt all day except bathing,
swimming, or sleeping
Accelerometer Data
Accelerometers are similar to pedometers, but in addition to step
count they provide the ability to measure intensity of physical
activity.
• Recruit information reported by households,
GIS layers (road and transit network, landuse
database, aerial imagery)
5
GPS and Accelerometer Data - Together
Data Collection:
Built Environment Measures
Measures collected and / or
developed by GeoStats:
 Density
 Network connectivity
 Land use mix
 Presence of destinations
 Sidewalks
Recruitment
Key Findings
Letters, emails to AS addresses (n=2053)
Email blasts, flyers to AS residents (n=unknown)
AS addresses contacted
by phone
n=441
Refused before eligibility
screening
g
n=118
(26.8% of those contacted)
1.
Atlantic Station Residents
 Characteristics of sample
 Changes in physical activity
 Changes in travel patterns
2
2.
Measuring the built environment
3.
Plans for validation study
Screened for eligibility
n=323
(73.2% of those contacted)
Ineligible
n=205
(63.5% of those screened)
Refused or withdrew
n=17
(14.4% of eligibles)
Eligible
n=118
118
(36.5% of those screened)
Completed participation
n=101
(85.6% of eligibles)
6
Atlantic Station Respondents
Atlantic Station Respondents
101 residents completed surveys
99 completed GPS, activity monitor, travel log
 67% female; 33% males
 47% White, 33% Black; 20% other
 20% in school
 92% without children, 37% 1-person households
 77% college graduates or more
Atlantic Station Respondents
Atlantic Station Respondents
Self-Rated Health Status
 Excellent: 31%
 Good: 49%
 Average-Poor: 20%
Self-Rated Fitness Status
 Excellent: 14%
 Good: 41%
 Average-Poor: 45%
7
Changes in activity and transport
Reasons for Moving
1= not important → 5=very important
Close to shops and services
Ease of walking
Close to cultural and entertainment venues
Access to freeways
Close to job or school
Safety from crime
Close to public transportation
Sense of communityy
Affordability / value
Close to open space, parks
Close to recreational facilities
Previous
Location
3 49
3.49
3.15
3.31
3.59
3.83
3.91
2.42
3.30
3.84
2.88
2.98
Atlantic
Station
4 57**
4.57
4.49**
4.12**
3.99**
3.97
3.95
3.59**
3.56
3.55*
3.32**
3.17
Close to healthcare facilities
2.59
2.91**
Quality of schools
2.98
1.81**
Differences by individual between Atlantic
Station and “pre-move neighborhood”
activities




Walking for recreation, health, or fitness
W lki ffor ttransportation
Walking
t ti
Travel in automobiles
Travel with public transportation
*p<.05 **p<.01, Note: “Affordability/value “ and “Quality of schools” show significant changes in the
opposite direction
Changes in Walking:
Mean Number of Times / Week
Changes in Walking: Any Walking
90%
84%
4.5
80%
4
70%
3.5
60%
50%
3
54%
46%
44%
2.5
40%
2
30%
1.5
20%
1
10%
0.5
2.23
2.14
1.6
0
0%
Walking for recreation
Pre-move
*p<.05
3.99
Walking for recreation*
Walking for transport*
Pre-move
Post-move
Walking for transport*
Post-move
*p<.05
8
Changes in Walking:
Mean Number of Minutes / Week
90
82 13
82.13
80
70
56.77
60
49.75
50
40
30
18.84
20
10
0
Walking for recreation
Pre-move
Changes in Travel by Car or Transit:
Any Travel
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
42%
24%
Pre-move
Post-move
Changes in Travel:
Mean Number of Minutes / Week
600
5 52
5.52
4
400
3
300
2
0.97
1
535 05
535.05
500
4.66
1 24
1.24
271.2
200
100
0
Travel by car*
Pre-move
*p<.05
Travel by transit*
Post-move
*p<.05
Changes in Travel:
Mean Number of Times / Week
5
88%
Travel by car
Walking for transport*
*p<.05
6
90%
Travel by transit
28.45
34.46
0
Travel by car*
Post-move
Pre-move
Travel by transit
Post-move
*p<.05
9
Summary of Findings - Walking
 Increases
I
in
i # ti
times/week
/
k walking
lki ffor
recreation and walking for transport
 Increases in # minutes/week walking for
transport
Summary of Findings - Travel
 Decreases in # days/week and #
minutes/week travel in car
 More participants travel with public
transportation post-move
 More participants walked for transport post-
move
Environmental Measures
Role in Study:
y Q
Quantifyy the characteristics of pre
p
and post move neighborhoods that promote walkability. This information can be used to evaluate
neighborhood differences.
Environmental Measures
Potentially Walkable Neighborhood:
½ mile network distance
Methods: Using geographic data, we evaluated
connectivity,
ti it land
l d use mix,
i and
d accessibility
ibilit tto certain
t i
destination types (restaurants, shopping, etc.)
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Environmental Measures
PWN intersection count
PWN total miles of local roads
PWN total miles of highways
PWN ratio of Euclidean distance to network distance
PWN net residential density
PWN % residential
PWN % commercial
PWN % industrial
PWN % institutional
PWN % recreational
PWN access to restaurants (count)
PWN access to grocery shopping (count)
PWN access to multiple commercial shopping (count)
PWN access to public parks or museums (count)
PWN access to arts or entertainment venues (count)
Environmental Measures
Selected Results:
~ 19% of pre-move locations from denser neighborhoods
with more accessibility than Atlantic Station (currently)
~ 81% of pre-move locations from less dense
neighborhoods with less accessibility than Atlantic Station
~ 16% of pre-move locations very low density and almost
zero accessibility
Research Team
Key Points
 Residents changed travel &
activity patterns
 So much inactivity!
 Difficulty of studying
‘ t
‘natural
l experiments’
i
t ’
 Effects of economy
 Learning more from
our research
Emory University, RSPH & Emory
Prevention Research Center
Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH
Principal Investigator
Jennifer Weissman, MPH
Study Coordinator
Melissa Kline, Patrick Neubert,
Kelsey Sprague
Research Assistants
University of Minnesota,
Morris
Karen Mumford, PhD
Cheryl Contant, PhD
GeoStats
Jean Wolf, PhD
Michelle Lee, GISP
Billy Bachman, PhD
Project Support
 CDC, supplement to the Emory PRC core grant
 Atlantic Station, LLC & AIG Global Investment
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