Design for Health

Active Living Research: Tools and Measures
This web site provides links to over 15 urban design and park audit tools, produced by researchers from a variety of institutions, including the University of Minnesota, Harvard School of Public Health, and the University of Western Australia.
Designing a Census Database for Use With GIS. 2005 (895 KB)
This technical paper describes the process of downloading and processing Census data for non-standard or customized geographies.
Environment and Physical Activity GIS Protocols Manual
Developed in conjunction with the Twin Cities Walking Study, this manual provides protocols for measuring environmental variables associated with walking. It is periodically updated.
Environment, Food, and Youth: GIS Protocols
This manual provides protocols for measuring environmental variables associated with food, youth and physical activity used in the Minnesota TREC-IDEA study.
Mapping Park Buffers: The Minnesota Method. 2005 (716 KB)
This technical paper, revised in 2005, illustrates a method of identifying access to open space along a street network, as opposed to the simpler technique of using straight line buffers. This approach deals with physical and human barriers to park access in a more realistic way.