Citation:

Tsai, W., L. Yngve, K. Beyer, K. Malecki, AND L. Jackson. How Robust are Relationships between Street Greeenery and Fitness Measures across Diverse Communities? World Conference on Forests for Public Health, Athens, Attica, GREECE, May 08 - 11, 2019.

Impact/Purpose:

To communicate recent eco-health research findings from two studies that focus on design elements of street greenery. As conference participants are leading international experts on forests, green space and human health, participation will be a highly effective means to broadcast our latest research for application and to network with leaders in the field.

Description:

INTRODUCTION: Urban greenery supports human health through ecosystem services including hazard mitigation and provision of venues for healthy behaviors. Evaluating the greenery signal in health outcome data requires the consideration of urban design. This presentation introduces two studies finding effects of street greenery by several neighborhood extents and vegetation types on (1) body mass index (BMI) and (2) participation in active transportation (AT). METHOD: Individual BMI across greater Phoenix, AZ, and Portland, OR, was calculated using height and weight data from U.S. state motor vehicle departments. Individuals’ AT reporting across greater Milwaukee and Green Bay, WI, was collected by the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin. Greenery metrics were developed from one-meter landcover data produced by the U.S. EPA’s EnviroAtlas project. Three focal areas (sidewalk, street, and overall) were delineated within 500 – 2000m from study residences. Sidewalk and street focal areas were designed to quantify the pedestrian environment along a gradient of suitability for promoting physical exercise through the provision of shade and aesthetics. An overall focal area was generated for comparison. This circular buffer included lands inaccessible to pedestrians but potentially contributing to large-scale ecosystem services such as ambient air quality and biodiversity support. RESULTS: Both studies showed positive effects of road-based greenery on indicators of physical fitness in logistic regressions, after controlling for covariates including intersection density and land-use mix. Trees, but not herbaceous cover, were consistently associated with lower odds of being overweight or obese in both Portland and Phoenix, across all residential network buffers. Similar results were observed for odds of participating in AT. Tree cover along sidewalks was more influential in smaller buffers (500m), while tree cover within the broader street viewshed was more important in larger buffers (1000m). Significant associations were not found for circular buffers. CONCLUSIONS: Street greenery may provide greater physical and visual access to ecosystem services that promote fitness-related health outcomes than does overall greenery. Trees may be more influential than herbaceous cover based on these results from three U.S. climate zones. Findings suggest that it is important to carefully define greenery measures, including extent and type, to better understand the potential pathways for different health outcomes. This abstract has been reviewed and approved for submission by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Agency.

Record Details: