What’s this about?
The Built Environment & Health (BEH) project is an interdisciplinary program of research at Columbia University. Led by epidemiologist Andrew Rundle, BEH uses spatial data to examine the implications of the built environment, including land use, public transit, and housing, for physical activity, diet, obesity, and other aspects of health. With a focus on New York City, BEH research will inform public policy to promote health in the city and metropolitan area. BEH is affiliated with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars program at Columbia.
Initial results on the Association between the Built Environment and BMI
A Multilevel Analysis
In the BEH group's first publication, Andrew Rundle and colleagues examine the relationship between built environment characteristics and obesity in New York City, replicating measures widely used in previous studies of other cities. Urban planning and public health research suggests that pedestrian-oriented environments, characterized by high street connectivity, mixed land use and high population density, encourage travel by walking and bicycling. By reducing reliance on privately-owned automobiles, public transit is also expected to promote pedestrian activity.
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