Zoning and the built environment: A public health analysis of zoning in Austin, Texas

The built environment is part of the physical environment made by people and for people. Because the built environment is such a ubiquitous component of the environment, it acts as an important pathway in determining health outcomes. Zoning, a type of urban planning policy, is one of the most important mechanisms connecting the built environment to public health. This policy analysis research paper explores how zoning regulations in Austin, Texas promote or prohibit the development of a healthy built environment. A systematic literature review was obtained from Active Living Research, which contained literature published about the relationships between the built environment, physical activity, and health. The results of these studies identified the following four components of the built environment that were associated to health: access to recreational facilities, sprawl and residential density, land use mix, and sidewalks and their walkability. A hierarchy analysis was then performed to demonstrate the association between these aspects of the built environment and health outcomes such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and general health. Once these associations had been established, the components of the built environment were adapted into the evaluation criteria used to conduct a public health analysis of Austin's zoning ordinance. A total of eighty-eight regulations were identified to be related to these components and their varying associations to human health. Eight regulations were projected to have a negative association to health, three would have both a positive and negative association simultaneously, and nine were indeterminable with the information obtained through the literature review. The remaining sixty-eight regulations were projected to be associated in a beneficial manner to human health. Therefore, it was concluded that Austin's zoning ordinance would have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the public's health based on identified associations between the built environment and health outcomes.^

Has the development of a New Urbanist community affected the physical activity levels of residents in surrounding neighborhoods?

Study Aims. The neighborhood environment has been shown to influence physical activity levels, but little is known about how far-reaching these effects are. This study sought to determine whether or not the development of a New Urbanist community in Austin, Texas affected the physical activity levels of residents in surrounding neighborhoods. The results were stratified by demographic characteristics, residential distance from the New Urbanist community, and type of physical activity to determine if any observed changes varied by these factors.^ Methods. Self-report questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of households located within one mile of the New Urbanist development. The questionnaire included questions about physical activity behaviors before and after the community was constructed in 2006. Changes in reported levels of physical activity between the two time points were examined.^ Results. The prevalence and average minutes per week of total physical activity did not change. Significant increases in the frequency and quantity of moderate-intensity leisure-time physical activity were observed. The amount of time spent walking and biking for recreation outside of the neighborhood increased significantly among those living close to Mueller. The weekly time spent in vigorous-intensity activity increased significantly, especially among those living closer to Mueller. There were significant decreases in the prevalence of and time spent walking for transport. The use of Mueller parks and trails was highest among participants living close to Mueller.^ Conclusions. The nearby Mueller development does not appear to have encouraged sedentary members of the surrounding population to become physically active, but might be associated with increased weekly physical activity among those who were already active. The increase in vigorous-intensity physical activity and recreational walking/biking outside of the neighborhood among those subjects living closer to Mueller may be attributed to the use of Mueller parks and trails, which was also considerably higher among this group. People may be substituting the time they spent walking for transport before the Mueller development with moderate-intensity leisure-time physical activity. Future research should seek to identify barriers that may be preventing more nearby residents from using Mueller facilities for physical activity. ^

THE APPLICATION OF CIRRHOSIS MORTALITY AND SUICIDE MORTALITY AS INDICATORS FOR ALCOHOLISM PLANNING

This study provides a review of the current alcoholism planning process of the Houston-Galveston planning process of the Houston-Galveston Area Council, an agency carrying out planning for a thirteen county region in surrounding Houston, Texas. The four central groups involved in this planning are identified, and the role that each plays and how it effects the planning outcomes is discussed.^ The most substantive outcome of the Houston-Galveston Area Council's alcoholism planning, the Regional Alcoholism/Alcohol Abuse Plan is examined. Many of the shortcomings in the data provided, and the lack of other data necessary for planning are offered.^ A problem oriented planning model is presented as an alternative to the Houston-Galveston Area Council's current service oriented approach to alcoholism planning. Five primary phases of the model, identification of the problem, statement of objectives, selection of alternative programs, implementation, and evaluation, are presented, and an overview of the tasks involved in the application of this model to alcoholism planning is offered.^ A specific aspect of the model, the use of problem status indicators is explored using cirrhosis and suicide mortality data. A review of the literature suggests that based on five criteria, availability, subgroup identification, validity, reliability, and sensitivity, both suicide and cirrhosis are suitable as indicators of the alcohol problem when combined with other indicators.^ Cirrhosis and suicide mortality data are examined for the thirteen county Houston-Galveston Region for the years 1969 through 1976. Data limitations preclude definite conclusions concerning the alcohol problem in the region. Three hypotheses about the nature of the regional alcohol problem are presented. First, there appears to be no linear trend in the number of alcoholics that are at risk of suicide and cirrhosis mortality. Second, the number of alcoholics in the metropolitan areas seems to be greater than the number of rural areas. Third, the number of male alcoholics at risk of cirrhosis and suicide mortality is greater than the number of female alcoholics.^