Places to walk, places to walk to : adapting the built environment to promote health

This thesis examines the role the built environment plays in promoting active transportation (AT) in order to reduce obesity rates. Through original identification and analysis methods, this thesis argues that current AT planning fails to recognize high-priority (high obesity prevalence) areas for AT improvements. It hypothesizes that low-socioeconomic status and low-walkability neighbourhoods have high obesity prevalence amongst residents, and existing AT planning does not connect these areas with key destinations. Using Orillia, Ontario, this theory was tested to demonstrate how the City’s existing AT plan overlooks a high-priority neighbourhood. This thesis synthesizes the identification process for high-priority AT improvement areas through the mapping of Census and Walk Score data. It also introduces the Active Transportation Algorithm that quantifies the quality of a roadway’s pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. This study reveals how more rigorous population and environmental analyses can be applied to AT planning to ensure high- priority neighbourhoods’ needs are met.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Architecture

Grantor dc:publisher

Carleton University

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• MacDonald, Jessica Eden

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © 2013 the author(s). Theses may be used for non-commercial research, educational, or related academic purposes only. Such uses include personal study, research, scholarship, and teaching. Theses may only be shared by linking to Carleton University Institutional Repository and no part may be used without proper attribution to the author. No part may be used for commercial purposes directly or indirectly via a for-profit platform; no adaptation or derivative works are permitted without consent from the copyright owner.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

10.22215/etd/2013-07278

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:carleton.scholaris.ca:20.500.14718/43261