Accessibility and Feasibility of Recreational and Fitness Facilities in Ames GIS-CRP 551 Final Project Yang Bai

Background Various built environment characteristics have been identified associated with physical activity in public health. Studies demonstrate that recreation sites, facilities and trails and aesthetic qualities were related to both adults and youth’s physical activity. Various evidence indicated that people walk and bike more for transportation when they live in neighborhoods designed to be walkable. Also, higher residential density needed to be supported by local parks and other recreation facilities.

Purpose Assess the walkable trails and recreation facility by residential density in Ames Iowa to facility the decision-making whether the new recreation facility or walking route need to build in Ames.

Approach 1. Distribution of population density in Ames Obtain the demographic data from census 2000 Create a choropleth image based on population distribution

Approach 2. Distribution of Walk/bike Path Add Ames_parcels and Ames_rec_path Select by attribute based on path types and export data and save as a new data layer

Approach 3. Distribution of Recreational Park Add Ames_parcels and Coa_parks Select by attribute based on park types and export data and save as a new data layer

Approach 4. Distribution of Fitness Center  Search all the fitness center information from google and input the address, city, Zipcode into excel  Geocode data by street address 1.Created a geo database "Yang.gdb" 2.Import -> Feature Class -> Roads911 from within the Ames 3.Import -> Table -> The excel sheet with 4.Right Click -> New -> Address Locator -> Address Locator Style is "US Address - Dual ranges". Reference data -> Roads911. Change the "Role" column of Roads911 from "Alternate Name Table" to "Primary Table". 5.Open GeoCoding tool bar (Customize -> Toolbars -> Geocoding) Click "Geocode Addresses"

6. It would have matched 7, Tied 1 and Unmatched 1 7. To rectify the unmatched one, "Rematch interactively by pointing on the map".

Then get the new shapefilen of fitness center in Ames

Approach 5. Path Accessibility Assume the average walk speed is 3 miles/hour, 0.1 miles radius buffer was used, which equals to 2min walk to walk/bike path for residence It shows that most of Ames residences could be covered by path at most 2 minutes walking.

Approach 6. Parks Accessibility Assume the average walk speed is 3 miles/hour, 0.25 miles radius buffer was used, which equals to 5min walk to recreational parks for residence. Around 70% of Ames is covered by parks at most 5 minutes walking. However, middle North, central and western part of Ames is in need of a park.

Approach 7 Future Recreational Parks Add the future recreational points in the previous map. Since the lack of information of the area of new parks, buffer can’t be used. According to the plan, it shows parks in the very north and south will be overlapped and the parks in western Ames are feasible. The need of recreational parks in central Ames is still required decision-makers to consider.

Final layout

Conclusion Recreational walk/bike path cover most parts of Ames and parks are still in need in the western and central Ames. Some of the location and area of new parks are still need to re-consider, especially the one in northern and southern Ames.

Limitation 1.The census data is based on blocks while the Ames parcels are not. Better match is needed. 2.I searched the fitness center online, the authorized information is need to obtain. 3.After geocoding the fitness center data, I can’t make buffer of it. Reasons are unknown. The buffer radius are chosen by my own knowledge. More scientific references support are needed.