Recorded presentation

Russ Lopez, MCRP, DSc, Department of Environmental Health, Boston University, 715 Albany Street, Talbot 2E, Boston, MA 02118, N/A, RPTLOPEZ@bu.edu and H. Patricia Hynes, MA, MS, Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118.

The built environment impacts physical activity. But there are large racial/ethnic differences in the quality of built environments and physical activity levels in part because Blacks and Hispanics predominately live in inner cities while Whites are more likely to live in suburbs. Standard approaches linking the built environment with physical activity are insufficient for understanding urban neighborhoods because they may ignore differences between urban and suburban built environments, fail to include other physical and social factors that affect physical activity, and propose solutions irrelevant to urban neighborhoods

Urban problems center on poorly maintained infrastructure: parks, sidewalks, streets and school playgrounds. Another factor is disinvestment: abandoned buildings, vacant lots, retail loss and industrial restructuring. Standard analyses don’t include the effects of segregation, income inequality, economic restructuring, and welfare policies. The only urban factor typically considered is crime, reinforcing stereotypes.

Future research on physical activity should include studies of features unique to inner cities that limit physical activity. There must be explicit targeting of urban areas and a broadening of the understanding of the term “built environment” to include urban issues. There must be a rejection of partial solutions that ignore or unfairly impact inner cities and policy makers must ensure that new initiatives don’t increase resource inequities. Better policies would include local government finance reform, anti-redlining and fair housing laws, inner-city infrastructure maintenance, and urban public health programs.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Understand that different communities face different challenges in promoting physical activity.
• 2. Identify some of the barriers to physical activity in inner-cities neighborhoods.
• 3. Describe the policy initiatives necessary if physical activity levels are to be increased.

Keywords: Physical Activity, Environmental Justice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation