PPH Projects

Children & schools
Southwest University Transportation Centers
A series of projects related to coordinated school and local government planning; school siting; and children’s school transportation.  Measurement methods included health impact assessment, web-based surveys, interviews, and case studies.

University of Texas at Austin, Center for Sustainable Development
Assessment of barriers and opportunities (real and perceived) for non-motorized travel to school in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of caregivers whose children attend and live within the catchment area of two elementary schools in Austin, TX. Measurement methods included in-person interviews and focus groups.

University of California Transportation Centers and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans),
Safe Routes to School Evaluation Project
A before and after evaluation of the California Safe Routes to School Construction program (authorized by state legislation in 1999), looking at the impact of the program on children’s walking and bicycling activity and safety, and parent’s perceptions of the neighborhood environment around schools.  Measurement methods included parent surveys (English and Spanish), objective assessment of the neighborhood environment, mode counts, traffic speed assessment and yielding rates.

California Department of Health Services and University of California, San Francisco Institute for Health and Aging
Qualitative evaluation of the Safe Routes to School through Safe Communities community planning grant project. Measurement methods included questionnaires, interviews, document analysis, site visits, case studies.

Healthy neighborhood environments
University of Houston
Built environment measurement and evaluation consultant on two grants that examine the influence of neighborhood design on physical activity.  Both projects focus on minority women (African-American and Hispanic).  Project responsibilities included: 1) developing a sampling and measurement protocol for neighborhood environment; 2) refinement of data collection instruments for local context; 3) training for environmental data collection; and 4) data analysis and report preparation.

Community Action Development & Assistance (CADA), Austin, TX
Develop and implement an evaluation plan for Austin Walkers & Talkers grant, focusing on both process and impact evaluation.  The Austin Walkers & Talkers grant focused on assisting hurricane survivors in the Austin area develop independence, confidence and resiliency.  Measurement methods focused on interviewer-administered surveys.

Mexican American Opportunity Foundation, Santa Ana, California
Research design and multi-lingual survey development (English, Spanish, Khmer) for the Minnie Street Pedestrian Safety Project.