Community Organizations
Tulane University Prevention Research Center
Contact info
1440 Canal Street, Suite 2301, New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 988-4773
Email:
Website: http://prc.tulane.edu/
Classification
Services Offered
Planning District:
1
Police Precinct:
0
President / Director:
Kathryn Parker-Karst, Assistant Director
Mission:
The Prevention Research Center works to build healthier communities in New Orleans and beyond.
As one of 37 Prevention Research Centers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, our focus is on the impact of the physical and social environment on obesity.
Our research seeks to understand how our environment influences behavior and impacts health. We also collaborate with a number of local agencies and community groups to promote healthy environments.
Our work takes shape in a number of different ways:
+ PACE, our core research project, will assess the impact of environmental change in an Upper Ninth Ward neighborhood.
+ We are one of the founding organizations of the Food Policy Advisory Committee. Authorized by the New Orleans City Council, the Committee is working to improve access to fresh, healthy food throughout the city and the state.
+ The Food Ubiquity Study is looking at the prevalence of snack foods available at non-food retailers.
+ Our work in schoolyards compares children’s activity levels before and after play equipment is installed at school playgrounds.
+ We are also studying the impact of food availability on diet and the role of a work-site physical activity and nutrition intervention.
We offer seminars on topics related to our mission and publications that help us and others explain the issues and impart change for better health.
As our center grows, we hope to learn more about how to reverse current staggering obesity trends and improve health. We look forward to working with our partners and with policy-makers to improve the physical environment in ways that will make being healthy easier.
Current Priorities:
- Comunity Health
- Infrastructure and Public Transportation
- Quality of Life, Preservation, and Zoning
For More Info:
Contact Kate Parker-Karst at or (504) 988-4773.
June 8th 2011
KidsWalk Coalition study finds hazardous walking conditions, recommends policies to City and Schools
The KidsWalk Coalition has released “Stepping to School: An Assessment of Neighborhood Walkability and Solutions for a Safer, Healthier New Orleans.”
The report indicates that 60 percent of New Orleans public school areas surveyed lack safe environments for walking and biking to school. It features results of walkability surveys of the areas surrounding all public elementary and middle schools in New Orleans covering nearly 175 miles of sidewalks.
The survey revealed that in total, more than one in five miles of sidewalks are in poor condition or missing altogether, hundreds of crosswalks are worn beyond recognition and over half of all intersection corners lack curb ramps. Only one school area surveyed received a “Good” rating in the report, and more than 30 school areas received a “Hazardous” rating.
Ranking fourth in the nation for prevalence of childhood obesity, only about one in three Louisiana children meet national recommendations for physical activity. Studies show providing safe, walkable and bikeable urban environments are proven ways to better public health by encouraging residents to be physically active.
The report recommends that the City of New Orleans prioritize and fund pedestrian safety improvements around schools; create and fund a sidewalk maintenance program; include pedestrian and bicycle-friendly provisions in the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance; better coordinate with utility providers to make street repairs; consider inspecting sidewalks through Code Enforcement; adopt and implement a city-wide “Complete Streets” policy; and adopt and fund an ADA Transition Plan.
Visit http://www.KidsWalkNOLA.org or call 988-7778 to learn more about what you can do to help make these recommendations reality.
November 1st 2010
Registration now open for Walk & Roll Louisiana 2010
Registration is now open for Walk & Roll Louisiana 2010. At this community summit, families, citizen advocates and policymakers from New Orleans and around Louisiana will join together to advance the cause of making our streets safer for all users. If you walk, bike or ride public transit in New Orleans and want to learn how to make our streets safer for everyone, register today, then join us on Saturday, November 13 at the Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center, located at 2200 Lafitte Street.
It’s free and open to the public, but registration is required! To register, visit http://www.WalkandRollLouisiana.org or call 504.988.7778.
The event will feature keynote speakers, a walking tour of the Lafitte Greenway, workshops on ways to improve community streets and bicycle safety trainings, helmet giveaways and other games for kids.
Walk & Roll Louisiana 2010 is a joint effort of members of the KidsWalk Coalition, including AARP, the Metro Bicycle Coalition, the Prevention Research Center at Tulane University, the University of New Orleans Center for Urban and Public Affairs, the City of New Orleans Department of Public Works, the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission, the Louisiana Public Health Institute and many others. The KidsWalk Coalition is dedicated to improving youth health in New Orleans by providing safe environments for physical activity in New Orleans.
