A61 Integrated research design for sustainable cities: Te Ara Mua – Future Streets

Abstract

Abstract Background Designing walking and cycling back into urban communities may be most effective at achieving a sustained shift from car trips to walking and cycling. Such a shift could deliver substantial benefits for mitigating climate change, public health, social and health inequities, and economic resilience. There is a lack of robust evidence about what designs successfully result in these integrated benefits and are generalizable. Aims • Assess the integrated public health, social and climate outcomes of retrofitting urban suburbs for walking and cycling Investigate the process and intervention design necessary for these outcomes to contribute to hauora Māori and Pacific wellbeing and reduce inequities • Identify and disseminate a generalizable process for community design that brings community, policy-makers and research together. Methods Future Streets is a trans-disciplinary investigation of a street redesign intervention using a randomised controlled before-after study design. Two suburbs in Auckland were chosen based on similar urban form, socio-demographic characteristics and size. We combined best evidence with a participatory design process to develop the infrastructure intervention. Public forums, qualitative interviews and focus groups with schoolchildren underpinned the intervention design. Random sample quantitative surveys and pedometers; injury reporting; traffic speed and mode usage counts have provided baseline data on physical activity, travel patterns, sense of security, social connection, road user behaviour and injury. These measures will be repeated 2 years later at the same time of year. Simulation modelling will explore wider implementation of the intervention in Auckland and New Zealand cities. Results This paper presents the novel methods involved in the study and intervention design. We have completed the initial qualitative research, the participatory intervention design and the baseline surveys, safety and physical activity measurements. The intervention infrastructure will be built in the summer 2014-15. Conclusions Despite having the potential to be most effective at achieving desired outcomes, urban infrastructure intervention studies are rare internationally because they are extremely difficult to do. Successful partnerships with transport agencies to undertake epidemiological research needs to build on long-standing relationships. Epidemiological studies of urban infrastructure interventions are high risk as local government infrastructure plans are subject to governance, funding and strategic shifts. Demonstrating the value of robust evidence, and communicating methodological design in clear and convincing ways is crucial to the success of such projects. Relationships between research and local government expose tensions between designing interventions likely to demonstrate effectiveness and generalizable cost effectiveness.