The Built Environment and Health: A Review

ANOVA-ANalysis Of VAriance. ANOVA is used to determine if differences found between groups of data are statistically significant. ANOVA compares variation around the mean values of groups of measurements – for example, household VMT at different levels of land use mix near households. BMI – Body Mass Index, a height / weight ratio. A BMI of over 25 is classified as overweight, and 30 is generally considered obese. CARB – California Air Resources Board CO-Carbon Monoxide. CO (see Table 2, p. 37) CO2-Carbon Dioxide (see Table 2, p. 37) FAR-Floor Area Ratio. FAR measures the ratio of a building's total square footage to the square footage of its lot (for example, a 2-story building that covers 50 percent of the lot would have an FAR of 1). It therefore measures not only density, but can be used as a measure of pedestrian friendliness as well, since buildings with low FARs are typically surrounded by parking lots. FAR is often used in zoning codes for commercial development. GIS-Geographic Information Systems. GIS is a software tool for mapping and spatial analysis. IPCC-Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change MTBE – Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether. A gasoline additive that can easily contaminate groundwater. NOx-Oxides of Nitrogen. (see Table 2, p. 37) PAHs-Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, petroleum compounds found in vehicle exhaust, are cancer-causing agents. PM – Particulate Matter, also known as fine particulates. The recent rapid increase in obesity and related chronic diseases has spurred a widespread recognition of the built environment's role in population health. Research on the topic has expanded greatly in recent years, and this document is an attempt to document the logical pathways and connections in the research between the built environment and the following health and wellness outcomes: This review of the literature is the first task in the 'IMPACTS OF URBAN FORM AND TRANSPORTATION POLICY OPTIONS ON HEALTH AND WELLNESS' project. This review sets the foundation for two other products – a set of evidence-based indicators that can be used to evaluate the health and wellness impacts of the built environment, and a set of policy recommendations for the City. These two resources can aid the City of Calgary in its efforts to develop and implement a long range integrated land use and mobility plan, Plan-It Calgary. In this review, we found that the literature supports the following major points and conclusions: The built environment has many relationships with health …