Parks and Trails Health Impact Assessment
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Section B: Data
Data can demonstrate how parks and trails relate to communities. Mapping the location of parks and their geographic relationship to areas of community concern can provide valuable insights for decisions. In particular, health data can help focus attention on service needs by identifying at-risk and underserved populations.
Hint- Setting up a framework and plan to evaluate the impact of the HIA early in the process informs both the effects of the decisions and the HIA itself. Identifying who will be responsible for the follow-up evaluation at the beginning of the HIA process makes follow-up more likely to happen.
Baseline data/information sources to consider
Topic | Local data sources | National data sources | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Physical Park Characteristics | |||
Existing parks and trails | Parks and Recreation inventories Planning Department inventories | PAD-US USGS Protected Areas Data http://gapanalysis.usgs.gov/ | May want to identify: - Sites with organized programs with supervision or regular staff - Sites with informal activities and easy-access walking routes |
Walking access | Park inventory GIS analysis Street maps Walk route maps | Aerial photographs | Map park and trail entrances and the walk routes serving them. Identify areas with less than ½ mile walk routes to park entrances. Sites with large differences between the number of people living within 0.5 miles of a park boundary and the number who have less than a 0.5 mile walk along a walk route to a park or trail entrance can be reviewed for addition access points and route improvements. |
Views of entrances and exits of a site | Site visits Photos linked to GPS data points | Aerial photographs | Better visibility of park and trail entrances may increase use Smart phones with the ability to capture GPS points can help identify these locations |
Existing site conditions - Topography - Vegetation–tree lines and specimen trees - Wetlands/flood plains - Water–streams, ponds, shore lines - Adjacent streets - Adjacent land use - Play structures - Fields - | Site visits Street maps Parks and recreation department Planning department—maps and site analysis information | Aerial photographs | Understanding existing site conditions assists in the identification of opportunities and constraints unique to particular sites |
Safety Characteristics | |||
Crime - Violent and property crime incidents in parks and adjacent neighborhoods | Public Safety or Police Departments reports | Crime and safety issues are often major concerns. Knowing the crime patterns in and around the project can lead to insights about whether this is a problem and strategies to address key issues. | |
Natural surveillance - Views into and within a site that ensure visibility for safety and emergency activities | Audits by Crime Prevention through environmental design trained staff. (Personnel with this training are often associated with Police/Public Safety Departments.) | Highly visible public areas typically experience less crime than secluded sites. | |
Crashes - Motor vehicle crashes within a walkable distance - Pedestrian injuries and fatalities - Bicycle injuries and fatalities | Public Safety/ Police reports Transportation Department reports Public Works reports | Helps determine if and where traffic calming is needed | |
Neighborhood Characteristics | |||
Demographic data and Community profiles | Planning Department reports | Age groups, economic, race, ethnic, single mothers, living in multi-family or very dense housing | |
Neighborhood context - Vacant land - Tax exempt properties - Foreclosed properties - Type of ownership | Tax Commissioner maps | Provides a visual representation of neighborhood economic vitality as well as potential sites for new entry points, new or expanded parks, and street network connections | |
Neighborhood organizations Important features/services within the community that may have a relationship with a park or trail | Obtain lists of contacts from such sources as - Planning Department, - Parks and Recreation Department - Community Development Department - United Way - Health Department | Identify potential partners: - Schools - Churches - Businesses - Hospitals/clinics - Civic organizations | |
Pedestrian and bike route analysis Map routes to logical destinations, such as from park entrances to school entrances | Planning Department maps Metropolitan Planning Organization maps Local university maps | Demonstrates opportunities to improve connectivity | |
Photographs Images of opportunities and barriers within the service area | Stakeholders or other interested groups | Ensure photographs are keyed, with brief statements of their significance and the locations are mapped | |
Public Health Characteristics | |||
Disease Prevalence Data | Health Department/Board of Health data reports Hospital community assessments Insurance provider community profiles/ assessments | Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) | For the service area and the community as a whole: -Mortality rates -% overweight children -Diabetes mortality rates -Asthma hospitalization rates -Heart disease mortality rates -Depression hospitalization rates -Unintentional injury rates -% low birthrate babies -% of babies born to unwed mothers -Inactivity rates |
Evaluation | Universities Health Department/Board of Health Nonprofit organizations | Identify the health goals of the initiative; determine how they will be measured; state what will be considered success; and establish an evaluation process. Organize and prepare to capture pre- and post-project data for evaluation |
The Toolkit is divided into four sections and two appendices:
- Page last reviewed: November 27, 2013
- Page last updated: November 27, 2013
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