Abstract
BackgroundIn the city of Maastricht in the Netherlands, a highway crossing several deprived neighborhoods was tunneled in 2016. The vacant space on top of this tunnel was redesigned and prioritized for pedestrians and cyclists. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of this major infrastructural change, named the Green Carpet, on total and transport-based physical activity (PA) levels.MethodsParticipants (≥18 years) were part of one of three area-based exposure groups. The maximal exposure group lived in neighborhoods directly bordering the Green Carpet. The minimal exposure group consisted of individuals living at the other side of the city, and the no exposure group consisted of individuals living in a nearby city. Actual use of the new infrastructure was incorporated as a second measure of exposure. Data were collected before and 3-15 months after the opening of the Green Carpet. Device-based measurements were conducted to obtain PA levels and collect location data. Changes in PA over time and intervention effects were determined using linear mixed models.ResultsPA levels in the Green Carpet area increased for the maximal and minimal exposure groups, but did not lead to an increase in total or transport-based PA. For the no exposure group, transport-based MVPA decreased and transport-based SB increased. The significant interaction (time x exposure) for transport-based SB, indicated differences in trends between the no exposure and maximal exposure group (B=-3.59, 95% CI - 7.15; -0.02) and minimal exposure group (B= -4.02, 95% CI -7.85, -0.19). Trends in the results based on analyses focusing on actual use and non-use of the new infrastructure were similar to those of the area-based analyses.ConclusionsResults suggest that the Green Carpet led to more PA in this specific area, but did not increase the total volume of PA. The area-based differences might reflect the differences between users and non-users, but we should be careful when interpreting these results, due to possible interference of selective mobility bias. This paper reflects that the relationship between infrastructure and PA is not unambiguous.Trial registrationThis research was retrospectively registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NL8108).
Highlights
In the city of Maastricht in the Netherlands, a highway crossing several deprived neighborhoods was tunneled in 2016
Based on recent systematic reviews, it can be concluded that changes in the built- and natural environments can lead to changes in physical activity (PA) levels of adults, and especially to changes in active transport (AT), i.e. walking and cycling for transport [8,9,10,11]
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of tunneling a highway on the overall PA and transportbased PA of people living in the vicinity of this major infrastructurally changed area, called The Green Carpet, compared to individuals living further away within the same city, and individuals living in another city in the same region
Summary
In the city of Maastricht in the Netherlands, a highway crossing several deprived neighborhoods was tunneled in 2016. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of this major infrastructural change, named the Green Carpet, on total and transport-based physical activity (PA) levels. The detrimental effects of physical inactivity on noncommunicable diseases have been widely studied and the results highlight the need to increase populationwide physical activity (PA) levels in order to improve public health and decrease healthcare costs [1, 2]. To increase population-wide PA levels, national and local governments should focus on more structural changes at the environmental, policy, and societal levels [4]. Several largescale, multi-city studies investigated the potential of the built environment to affect population-wide PA levels [5,6,7]. AT might result in additional health benefits over vehiclebased transport, such as the reduction of the emission of, and exposure to, air pollution, and the improvement of neighborhoods’ livability by lowering the amount of motorized traffic [12, 13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
