HPRG RESEARCH
Project Title: |
Neighborhood Parks and Active Living (NPAL) Research Project |
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Participating Institutions/ Organizations: |
Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |
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Researchers/ Practitioners: |
Emory University: Dr. Howard Frumkin (principal investigator), Dr. Karen Mumford University of Georgia: Dr. Steve Dempsey Georgia Tech: Dr. Steve French, Tony Giarusso, Dee Merriam Georgia State University: Dr. Amy Helling |
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Time period: |
Spring 2004 - Spring 2007 |
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Web site: |
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Contact Person: |
Dr. Karen Mumford |
E-mail/ Phone: |
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Description |
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The Neighborhood Parks and Active Living project, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation under its Active Living Research program, is a $600,000 initiative designed to identify features of city parks that predict park use, and specifically physical activity in parks. This research involves an observational phase that is characterizing park demographics and park use patterns in 13 parks in metropolitan Atlanta, and a case-control study that will test specific hypotheses about predictors of park use. This research will analyze variables on a variety of spatial scales, from the individual (e.g. age, race, dog ownership) to the park-level (e.g. maintenance, facilities, vegetation, crime levels) to the community-level (e.g. connectivity, sidewalk network, socioeconomic status). Sophisticated use of GIS is helping define park attributes. A special emphasis is being placed on ethnic and racial differences in park use. Howard Frumkin, Emory University, is principal investigator on this project, and collaborators include faculty at Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, and the University of Georgia. |
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