ECO-METRIC Plateform (human)

Name of entity

ECO-METRIC Plateform

Entity type

Specific expertise

Keywords

Neighborhood; parks; urban; built environment.

Area of expertise

This platform regroups protocols and questionnaires specifically developed for the evaluation of different aspects of the built environment in order to measure them, and to test hypotheses linking environmental features and health outcomes and behaviors.

Various tools and applications developed by our members are available to the CMDO community, including:

MEGAPHONE: a comprehensive geographic information system containing vast geo-coded data bases, providing detailed local built and social environments indicators.
Neighbourhood Active Living Potential (NALP): this instrument mesures aspects of the neighborhood that regulate the likelihood of active living in individuals and populations (such as walking or bicycling for transportation, exercise, or pleasure; playing in the park; working in the yard; taking the stairs; and using recreation facilities). Three dimensions of the built environment are measured: density of destinations, activity friendliness, and safety.
PARK : Parks, Activity and Recreation Among Kids: this instrument evaluates public park characteristics associated with youth physical activity. Items include presence of school yards, skate parks, drinking fountains and overall general impression of safety and appeal of the parks for youth.
QUALITY Residential Environment: This tool systematically evaluates micro-environmental characteristics of potentially obesogenic residential neighborhoods. Evaluations may be conducted on site or virtually, using the Google Earth and Google Street View applications.
QUALITY School Environment : This tool describes the built environment in primary schools, as well as the immediate neighborhood environment surrounding the school.

Services offered

MEGAPHONE : Production of geo-localization data bases and expertise in geo-spatial analysis.

NALP/QUALITY : The tools, training guides, and manuals that we have developed are available to our collaborators. We offer our expertise to assist in the planning of an evaluation.