Groce, N

Haklay, M

Jones, P

Mindell, JS

Scholes, S

Vaughan, L

UCL Discovery

Community Severance from Major Roads: Can We Measure its Effects on Determinants of Health? Lessons from FinchleyRoad, London, UKDr Jennifer MindellReader in Public Health, UCLj.mindell@ucl.ac.uk @j_mindellStreet mobility and network accessibility: towards tools for overcoming barriers to walking amongst older peopleImage credit: http://pixabay.com/en/walking-old-people-coat-age-park-69708/www.ucl.ac.uk/street-mobilityStreet mobility  and network accessibility• Prof Peter Jones• Prof Laura Vaughan• Prof Muki Haklay• Prof Nora Groce• Dr Shaun Scholes• Dr Paulo Anciaes• Dr Ashley Dhanani• Dr Jemima Stockton• Dr Sadie Boniface• Ms Louise Francis• Ms Rebecca Payne• Ms Barbara Brayshay• Dr Lusine TarkhanyanCommunityseverance• Appleyard and Lintell,• San FranciscoAppleyard & Lintell. Am Inst Plan J. 1972;38:84–101.Appleyard. Livable Streets, 1981Mindell J, Karlsen S. Community severance and health: What do we actually know? J Urban Health. 2012;89:323-46.Community severanceParticipatory mappingQuestionnaire surveyObjective measurement• Space syntax• Pedestrian environment• Traffic & pedestrian flowsStated Preference analysisOutcomes• Suite of tools• Values for WebTAGModelling interventions• Reduction in severance• Economic benefitMy neighbourhood, my streets questionnaireDeveloping a survey tool• Pre-existing questions:– Demographics– Socio-economic factors– Self-rated health– Longstanding illness– Disability– Wellbeing (SWEMWBS)• Developed questions about perceptions of own road, busiest road, and walking around in their area• Cognitive testing• Pilot• Survey of random sample of residentsStudy resultsFinchley Road Data and analyses101. Qualitative interviews of 101 people August 2014 2. Survey of 209 people July/August 20153. Stated preference survey 100 participants August 2015 4. Video observation of vehicle movement and pedestrian flows 6th November 2014 (20 locations)5. PERS survey of 114 street segments6. Local and global spatial analysis of the area7. Model of walkability for London areaContext11Spatial analysis: Finchley road is structurally important to both local center and wider urban areaSyntax analysis (local scale) 1. Farmers’ MarketLeisure CentreO2 Shopping Centre12Local residents asked on the street reported the road is a strategic destination• popular local amenities: Swiss Cottage Farmers’ Market, Leisure Centre, O2 Shopping Centre1. Farmers’ MarketLeisure CentreO2 Shopping CentreLondon’s walkability13Finchley Road: one of the peak walkability locations in London. Walkability defined as a potential of the built environment to promote walking. A high walkability score does not necessarily mean a high level of walking 1. “Proximity to green spaces and pleasant back routes are a positive factors of the road.” (Street survey)14Based on DfT data considerable amount of traffic passes through the areaSurvey participants reported that the ability to walk to local places often or always affected by the speed of traffic (14%) or its volume (15%) (almost half sometimes affected)Levels of traffic within peak walkability boundaries1. 2. 1. 15Perception of road as socioeconomic border between two different groups, reinforced by findings from the IMD (from Oliver O'Brien's blog of IMD deciles)ContextMobility and destinations 16The video survey shows that road traffic levels along the road are very high, compared with similar roads in London. The values are similar to some motorways 1. Mobility and destinations 17Street survey: A number of local residents reported that they do not cross the road near Swiss Cottage due to risks involved from car trafficQuestionnaire survey: • 25% of participants were concerned about the crossing facilities at Swiss Cottage. • Difficulty walking around their area:• 18% mentioned a lack of crossing points• 25% the lack of adequate time to cross“I don’t like crossing at Swiss Cottage – I nearly got killed there one night.”(Street survey)0 10 20 30 40 50 60All0-249m250-499m500-799m% at least occasionally affected by speed of traffic (own road): P=0.002• >50% of survey participants, who were located close to the busy road (≤3 minutes walk) were at least occasionally affected by speed of traffic • >60% by the traffic volume Mobility and destinations 18Mobility and destinations 19The PERS survey results show there are barriers to walking other than road traffic, such as railways and dark alleyways (in the NW part) and slopes (in some streets leading to the Finchley road in the E part)Mobility and destinations 2011% of local residents (street survey) raised the issue of fear of crime when walking around locally or using underpasses Other difficulties in walking around the local area was related to poor lighting, pavements and paths (13%) and the fear of crime (11%)  (Questionnaire survey)Pedestrian flows21Environmental qualities • October 2014 – October 2015: – Mean NO2 61 µg/m³– EU limit 40 µg/m³– Maximum 345 µg/m³ 18 February 2015• 20% (street survey) raised pollution as a negative perception of the road• 36% (questionnaire) reported air or noise pollution as a difficulty for them in walking around the local area23“I avoid the pollution on Finchley Road by using the bus – it’s foul crossing by the cinema (Swiss Cottage), really disgusting.”(Street survey)“Exhaust fumes from huge airport buses are dreadful. Killing us.”(S1 survey participant)Health and wellbeing 250 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40All0-249m250-499m500-799mNoise / air pollution (% problem on road): P=0.002“I have arthritis and use a walking stick. Many of the pavements are cracked and I have fallen on several occasions.”(S1 survey participant)310 participants  35% aged  ≥55yearsFirst two inner London case-study areas (WD & FR)42% of  aged  ≥55years reported longterm, activity-limiting, health conditionSignificantly more likely than those without such a condition to report:• Walking is often/ always affected by • traffic speed• traffic volume• Problems on their own road:• Lack of  crossing points • Insufficient time to cross• Traffic speed is fairly/very fast, and Wait >30seconds to cross • Own road• Busiest road Transport-related community severance is the variable and cumulative negative impact of the presence of transport infrastructure or motorised traffic on the perceptions, behaviour, and well-being of people who use the surrounding areas or need to make trips along or crossing that infrastructure or traffic.28New definition

Community severance from major roads: Can we measure its effects on determinants of health? Lessons from Finchley Road, London, UK

http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1520086/1/Mindell_Community%20Severance.pdf

Community severance from major roads: Can we measure its effects on determinants of health? Lessons from Finchley Road, London, UK

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