In this research, the responses of York Region residents to a national health survey (2015-2016) were used to explore relationships between the built environment and chronic health outcomes. For the City of Markham specifically, the research focused on associations between neighbourhoods with groups that frequently face marginalization (older adults, visible minorities and low-income), collision rates (2015-2019), and access to active transportation infrastructure. An initial scan of five recent active transportation plans found that while efforts are growing, much more can be done to explicitly identify and name local equity and health concerns and plan investment in a way that leads to more equitable outcomes.
Acknowledgements
The report was produced by Nahomi Amberber, University of Toronto Master of Public Health Candidate, during an internship at The Centre for Active Transportation, Clean Air Partnership. The City of Markham and York Region Public Health served as project partners, providing data and input towards the overall study design. The work was supported through a financial contribution to the Active Neighbourhoods Canada Network from the Public Health Agency of Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Public Health Agency of Canada.
