Perver K. Baran

Park-Based Physical Activity Among Children and Adolescents

BACKGROUND Availability of parks is associated with higher levels of physical activity among children and adolescents. Few studies examine actual park use and park-based physical activity in these populations. PURPOSE This study examined associations among individual, park, and neighborhood environmental characteristics and childrens and adolescents park-based physical activity. METHODS Data were collected in 2007 on 2712 children in 20 randomly selected parks in Durham NC. The System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) provided measures of physical activity. Hierarchic regression analysis assessed associations among individual, park, and neighborhood environmental characteristics and childrens park-based physical activity. Data were analyzed in 2010. RESULTS Of the 2712 children observed, 34.2% and 13.2% were engaged in walking or vigorous physical activity. Environmental features of parks were associated with activity levels whereas neighborhood characteristics were not. Physical activity was negatively associated with gender (girls) (p=0.003); presence of a parent (p<0.0001); presence of nonparental adult (p=0.006); and an interaction involving the 0-5 years age group and style of play (p=0.017). Higher level of physical activity was associated with presence of other active children (p<0.0001); courts (e.g., basketball); and an interaction between number of recreation facilities and formal activities (p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS These social factors and design features should be considered in order to stimulate higher levels of park-based physical activity among children and adolescents.

Park Use Among Youth and Adults: Examination of Individual, Social, and Urban Form Factors

This article examines park use in relation to neighborhood social (safety and poverty) and urban form (pedestrian infrastructure and street network pattern) characteristics among youth and adult subpopulations defined by age and gender. We utilized System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) and Geographic Information Systems to objectively measure park use and park and neighborhood characteristics in 20 neighborhood parks. Heterogeneous negative binomial regression models indicated that the relationship between park use and types of activity settings, and park use and neighborhood attributes vary by age and gender. In general, the study found that park and activity setting size; activity settings such as playgrounds, basketball courts, pool and water features, shelters, and picnic areas; and availability of sidewalks and intersections in the park’s neighborhood were positively associated with park use, whereas crime, poverty, and racial heterogeneity of the surrounding neighborhood were negatively associated with park use.

Social and Environmental Factors Related to Boys' and Girls' Park-Based Physical Activity.

Introduction Parks provide opportunities for physical activity for children. This study examined sex differences in correlates of park-based physical activity because differences may indicate that a standard environmental intervention to increase activity among children may not equally benefit boys and girls. Methods The System for Observation Play and Recreation in Communities was used to measure physical activity among 2,712 children and adolescents in 20 neighborhood parks in Durham, North Carolina, in 2007. Sedentary activity, walking, vigorous park activity, and energy expenditure were the primary outcome variables. Hierarchical logit regression models of physical activity were estimated separately for boys and girls. Results Type of activity area and presence of other active children were positively associated with boys’ and girls’ physical activity, and presence of a parent was negatively associated. A significant interaction involving number of recreation facilities in combination with formal activities was positively associated with girls’ activity. A significant interaction involving formal park activity and young boys (aged 0–5 y) was negatively associated with park-based physical activity. Conclusion Activity area and social correlates of park-based physical activity were similar for boys and girls; findings for formal park programming, age, and number of facilities were mixed. Results show that girls’ physical activity was more strongly affected by social effects (eg, presence of other active children) whereas boys’ physical activity was more strongly influenced by the availability of park facilities. These results can inform park planning and design. Additional studies are necessary to clarify sex differences in correlates of park-based physical activity.

Does Intelligibility Affect Place Legibility? Understanding the Relationship Between Objective and Subjective Evaluations of the Urban Environment:

Lynch has defined place legibility as the ease with which people understand the layout of a place. The concept essentially represents the composite mental image of a place. Alternatively, space-syntax literature has objectively defined the concept of intelligibility as the capacity of a space to give clues to the understanding of the system as a whole. This study contributes to understanding space-syntax theory as applied to spatial cognition by examining the effect of spatial configuration, measured by intelligibility, on place legibility, measured by sketch maps, recognition tests, and surveys. The results of the experimental study showed that the intelligibility of neighborhood layout influences place legibility. The findings of this study suggest that the space-syntax methodology could be used by urban designers and policy makers to understand and quantitatively manipulate one aspect of the environment, that is, intelligibility, which contributes to improved legibility.

Measuring Quality of Urban Life in Istanbul

This chapter presents an overview of a study examining the quality of urban life in the Istanbul metropolitan area. The primary source of information was a household survey conducted as part of the strategic planning process undertaken by the Greater Istanbul Municipality. The specific goal of the study was to inform government officials and planners about residents’ perceptions of urban life in a large and rapidly growing region. The quality of the broader residential environment and the housing unit are among the basic indicators of quality of life. Residential environments not only provide shelter but they also support a healthy family life, the care of children, and individual fulfillment or well-being. Therefore, survey findings were important to the planning process in identifying the nature and location of problems in residential areas. The chapter reviews findings from the household survey. Selected recommendations aimed at enhancing quality of life are then summarized. These cover alternative housing strategies and plans for enhancing neighborhood quality throughout the metro area.