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Promoting Physical Activity and Health by Urban Design On November 4th, 2003, a conference was held by the Harvard School of Public Health and the Harvard Design School at the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston that was attended by approximately 230 people. The purpose was to explore urban designs that might enable more people to engage in physical activity as a routine part of the day. It was acknowledged that pedestrians should always have sidewalks and that bicyclists should always have safe road provisions but an additional realm should also be considered. This new realm would provide facilities for slower bicyclists, in-line skaters, joggers, users of a scooter, and skateboarders to also navigate the public domain travel corridors. These new urban designs would be in addition to rail-trails and riverside greenways that often involve leisure time, transportation to the facility, and expense. Updated information: After the conference, funding was sought to achieve one of the intended conference outcomes, the testing of pilot materials in the Boston area that would enable physical activity for all populations. For the grant application, queries were sent to Boston area organizations and communities to learn where pilots might be tested. Arlington, MA came forward with the Arlington Transportation Advisory Committee, the Arlington Safe Routes to School Committee, and highly informed elected officials, staff, and citizens due to the existence of the Minuteman Trail. The funding was provided for this pilot testing by an anonymous foundation in the Boston area. The partners who worked on the pilots with the Harvard School of Public Health included WalkBoston, The Cecil Group, Inc. and Mystic Scenic Studios, Inc. The pilots tested included stencils and signs in Arlington Center to direct users of the Minuteman Trail on the sidewalks and, ideally, provide more safety for the pedestrians and offer guidance to Trail users. Working with members of Arlington Safe Routes to School, five elementary schools were involved in the design and testing of stencils and signs that state "School Route" on the parent and school-designated safest routes. Also tested were stencils showing the two different types of bicyclists (parent with child/novice and on-road touring) and their respective directions (arrows) for travel near the Alewife Station. Mockups of delineator posts or bollards were built that might affordably provide separate bicycle provisions on the road-right-of way. Some of the discussed designs were too expensive to test in the field and, therefore, a booklet entitled "Pushing the Design Boundaries: Walk, Bicycle, In-line Skate, & Jog - Design Innovations for the Built Environment" was written with pictures and photo-shopped illustrations. This booklet uses three scenarios to explain how different designs might be applied. Links are also provided for related articles on European bicycle facilities through the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center. Comments are welcomed in this ongoing exploration about designs that enable physical activity for all populations. The intention is to encourage innovative thinking and consider the designs for bicycling that are currently used in Europe, Canada, and China. If you wish to comment on the booklet, pilot testing, or innovative designs, please contact Anne Lusk at AnneLusk@hsph.harvard.edu. For the booklet, please visit: For related information, please visit:
Currently available conference materials include:
This site will change periodically as more information is received. We will host 6 follow-up meetings to the conference starting in January and post the results from those meetings. We also will begin exploration related to the 20 pilot projects and the other initiatives outlined on the Conference Outcomes. As those projects are furthered, information will be posted. The conference was facilitated by two Harvard schools and four organizations within those schools: If you have any comments, or desire more information, please contact Anne Lusk at AnneLusk@hsph.harvard.edu. We thank you for your interest in the analysis and construction of urban environments that encourage physical activity. Harvard School of Public Health is dedicated to advancing the public's health through learning, discovery, and communication. More than 300 faculty members are engaged in teaching and training the 800-plus student body in a broad spectrum of disciplines crucial to the health and well being of individuals and populations around the world. Programs and projects range from the molecular biology of AIDS vaccines to the epidemiology of cancer; from risk analysis to violence prevention; from maternal and children's health to quality of care measurement; from health care management to international health and human rights. Return to News, Events,
and Publications Copyright, 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College |
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