Tools, Manuals, and Methods

I have created tools related to a number of topics. Note that they overlap so if you can’t find a tool in one place, look in another:

  • Healthy and sustainable places guidelines
  • Health assessments
  • Measures of walking and cycling
  • Geographic information systems measuring built environments and health
  • Other tools to measure built environments
  • Participation in healthy and sustainable place-making

Note: some of these are also on the Academic and Professional Publications page.

Healthy and Sustainable Places Guidelines

2017     Forthcoming. A. Forsyth, E. Salomon, and L. Smead. Creating Healthy Neighborhoods: Evidence-based Planning and Design Strategies. [link] Chicago: APA Planners Press.

2016     A. Forsyth, C. Brennan, N. Escobedo, and M. Scott. Revitalizing Places: Improving Housing and Neighborhoods from Block to Metropolis/Revitalizando Ciudades: Mejorando Viviendas y Barrios desde la Cuadra a la Metrópolis. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Graduate School of Design. In English and Spanish.

2008    J. Jacobson and A. Forsyth. Seven American TODs: Good Practices for Urban Design in Transit-Oriented Development Projects. Journal of Transport and Land Use 1, 2: 51-88.

2005    A. Forsyth and L. Musacchio. Designing Small Parks: A Manual for Addressing Social and Ecological Concerns. New York: Wiley. A Planetizen “Top 10 Books in Planning” for 2006. Chinese translation in 2007.

1994    A. Forsyth and W. Sarkissian. Housing for Older Australians: Site Planning Basics. Australian Planner (Journal of the Royal Australian Planning Institute) 33, 3: 177-183.

Health Assessments

2014-2015     Health and Places Initiative (Principal Investigator).
A. Forsyth, ed. Health Assessment series
Tool 1: Screening Survey of Health in Place (SSHIP) and How To Guide.
Tool 2. Health Opportunity Checklist (HOC) and How to Guide.
Tool 3. HAPI Health Assessment Workshop and How to Guide.
(Contributors A. Forsyth, L. Smead, E. Salomon, and others).
A. Forsyth and L. Smead, eds. Research Brief series. (Contributors L:Smead and others).

2011    C. Schively Slotterback, A. Forsyth, K. Krizek, A. Johnson, and A. Pennucci. Testing Three Health Impact Assessment Tools in Planning: A Process Evaluation, Environmental Impact Assessment Review. 31: 144-153. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2010.01.005

2010    A. Forsyth, C. Schively Slotterback, and K. Krizek. Health Impact Assessments in Planning: Development and Testing of the Design for Health HIA Tools. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 30: 42-51.

2007    Design For Health, Health Impact Assessment Series (Principal Investigator; Project Team A. Forsyth, K. Krizek, C. Schively, A. Johnson, A. Pennucci).

Measures of Walking and Cycling

2012. Charlier Associates, K.J Krizek, A. Forsyth. The Colorado Mile Markers: Recommendations for Measuring Active Transportation. Final Report.

2012    A. Forsyth, K. Krizek, A. Agrawal, E. Stonebreaker. Reliability Testing of the PABS (Pedestrian and Bicycling Survey) Method. Journal of Physical Activity and Health 9, 5: 677-688. [Dash version.]

2012     A. Forsyth, A. Agrawal, K. Krizek. Simple, Inexpensive Approach to Sampling for Pedestrian and Bicycle Surveys. Transportation Research Record 2299: 22-30. [Dash version.]

2011    J. Sirard, A. Forsyth, J.M. Oakes, K. H. Schmitz. Accelerometer Test-Retest Reliability by Data Processing Algorithms: Results from the Twin Cities Walking Study. Journal of Physical Activity and Health 8: 668-674.

2010    A. Forsyth, K. Krizek, A.W. Agrawal. Measuring Walking and Cycling Using the PABS (Pedestrian and Bicycling Survey) Approach: A Low-Cost Survey Method for Local Communities. Report. San José, CA: Mineta Transportation Institute.

2010   K. Krizek, A. Forsyth, A.W. Agrawal. PABS User Manual. San José, CA: Mineta Transportation Institute.

2009    J. M. Oakes, A. Forsyth, M. Hearst, and K. H. Schmitz.. Recruiting Participants for Neighborhood Effects Research: Strategies and Outcomes of the Twin Cities Walking Study. Environment and Behavior 41, 6: 787-805. [Abstract]

2009    A. Forsyth, J. M. Oakes, and K. H. Schmitz. Test-Retest Reliability of the Twin Cities Walking Survey. Journal of Physical Activity and Health 6, 1: 119-131. Note: On page 125 “MET Minutes per week” should read “MET minutes per day”. The results are unchanged.

Geographic Information Systems Measuring Built Environments and Health

2012     A. Forsyth, D. Van Riper, N. Larson, M. Wall, D. Neumark-Sztainer. Creating a Replicable, Cross-Platform Buffering Technique: The Sausage Network Buffer for Measuring Food and Physical Activity Built Environments. International Journal of Health Geographics. 11:14. http://www.ij-healthgeographics.com/content/11/1/14.

2010    A. Forsyth ed. and contributor. NEAT-GIS (Neighborhood Environment for Active Transport) Protocols, an updated version of Environment and Physical Activity: GIS Protocols; version 5.0.

2010    A. Forsyth ed. and contributor. LEAN GIS (Local Environment for Activity and Nutrition) Protocols , and updated version of Environment, Food, and Youth: GIS Protocols; Version 2.0.

2007    A. Forsyth editor and contributor. Environment, Food, and Youth: GIS Protocols, University of Minnesota. Various versions, first released to public as version 1.1 in 2007. Version 1.2 July 2007, 201 pp.

2006    A. Forsyth, K. H. Schmitz, J. M. Oakes, Jason Zimmerman, and Joel Koepp. Standards for Environmental Measurement using GIS: Toward a Protocol for Protocols. Journal of Physical Activity and Health 3, S1: 241-s257.

2005, 2006, 2007 A. Forsyth editor and contributor. Environment and Physical Activity: GIS Protocols. University of Minnesota (Various versions, first released to public as version 2.0 in 2005. Version 4.1, June 2007), 236 pp.

Other Tools to Measure Built Environments

2011    M. Boarnet, A. Forsyth, K. Day, and J.M. Oakes. The Street Level Built Environment and Physical Activity And Walking: Results of a Predictive Validity Study for the Irvine Minnesota Inventory. Environment and Behavior 43, 6: 735-775.

2010    A. Forsyth, J. Jacobson, and K. Thering. Six Assessments of the Same Places: Comparing Views of Urban Design. Journal of Urban Design 15, 1: 21-48.

2006    M. Boarnet, Kristen Day, M. Alfonzo, A. Forsyth, J. M. Oakes. The Irvine Minnesota Inventory to Measure Built Environments: Reliability Tests. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 30, 2: 153-259. [Abstract]

2006    Kristen Day, M. Boarnet, M. Alfonzo, A. Forsyth. The Irvine Minnesota Inventory to Measure Built Environments: Development. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 30, 2: 144-152. [Abstract]

2005    K. Day, M. Boarnet, M. Alfonzo, and A.Forsyth. Irvine Minnesota Inventory (paper version and Microsoft Access version). Irvine, CA: UC Irvine Department of Urban Planning and Design. Also published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

2003 A. Forsyth. Measuring Density: Working Definitions for Residential Density and Building Intensity. Design Brief [Link}

Participation in Healthy and Sustainable Place-Making

2010    A. Forsyth, G. Nicholls, and B. Raye. Higher Density and Affordable Housing: Lessons from the Corridor Housing Initiative. Journal of Urban Design 15, 2: 269-284.

2002-   Educational and participatory tools. Corridor Housing Initiative (CHI), coordinated by the Center for Neighborhoods. Role: Director of design group in core technical team (2002-2007). See Link.

2001    M. Cameron, A. Forsyth, W.Green, H. Lu, P. McGirr, P. Eubanks Owens, and R. Stolz. Learning Through Service: The Community Design Studio. College Teaching 49, 3: 105-113. [Abstract]

2000    Urban Places Project and YouthPower/El Arco Iris.The YouthPower Guide: How to Make Your Community Better. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Extension, 144 pp. Project manager for UPP, based on the experiences of YouthPower.

2000    A. Forsyth, H. Lu, and P. McGirr. Service Learning in an Urban Context: Implications for Planning and Design Education. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research 17, 3: 236-259. [Abstract]

1999    A. Forsyth, H. Lu, and P. McGirr. Inside the Service Learning Studio in Urban Design. An evaluation. Landscape Journal 18, 2: 166-178. [Abstract]

1999    A. Forsyth, H. Lu, and P. McGirr. College Students and Youth Collaborating in Design. Landscape Review 5, 2: 26-42. [Article]