Jan C Semenza, PhD, MPH, MS¹, Tanya L. March, MS, MS¹, and Brian Bontempo, PhD². (1) School of Community Health, Portland State University, Post Office Box 751, Portland, OR 97207-0751, 503-725-8262, semenzaj@pdx.edu, (2) Mountain Measurement, Inc, 4134 N Kerby Ave, Portland, OR 97217

Objectives: Many neighborhood conditions foster social isolation and physical inactivity. A health promoting community design intervention was implemented and evaluated in Portland, Oregon. The strategy engages communities in a process of neighborhood improvements, which encourages physical activity and social interactions for a healthier lifestyle. The process constructively engaged citizens, city officials, neighborhood associations, and ecological builders in a process of creating community-designed, environmentally-beneficial neighborhood gathering places, which encourage physical activity and social interactions. Methods: Three communities were organized to create neighborhood enhancement projects and surveyed before (N=325) and after (N=349) the intervention as part of a prospective longitudinal study. Of these respondents, 265 subjects were surveyed both before and after the intervention. Results: All social indicators tested improved, as well as mental health (p<0.001). One of the sites expanded a previously initiated public gathering place, while two sites created novel ecological constructions in the public realm; through these interventions, subjects improved their sense of community (p=0.01), social interactions (p=0.02), and social capital (p=0.03). Based on preliminary data, we found reported offenses to decrease (p<0.001), two years prior (N=364) and two years following (N=308) the intervention, compared to two unimproved, adjacent control sites. Conclusion: These data vindicate the merits of public participation in urban design with direct benefits to public health. The ecologic intervention analyzed in this study created human-scale urban landscapes that are more conducing to walking and biking by placing community art in the public realm. Such aesthetic improvements encourage residents to stroll and engage in conversations.

Learning Objectives:

• List three adverse health outcomes associated with the built urban environment
• Articulate the procedure for implementing community initiated neighborhood enhancement projects.
• Describe the process of improving social capital in a community.

Keywords: Environmental Health, Community

Related Web page: www.cityrepair.org

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.