Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

Spring 1-8-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

February 2026

Department

Urban and Regional Planning

College Granting Degree

Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

Department Granting Degree

Urban and Regional Planning

Degree Name

Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Yanmei Li

Abstract

Obesity, depression and social isolation rates are an increasing worry in the United States. As planners, we help shape the built environment, which can influence a person’s health outcomes. To assess the effects the built environment has on health outcomes, this paper looks at the percentage of park space, the population density and the national walk index score, combined with several demographic and socioeconomic variables in the Metropolitan Miami region. The study uses the spatial autoregression results of the variables on each health measurement to determine the connection with each health outcome. Despite initial hypotheses that the built environment leads to better health outcomes, the results show that health outcomes may be better explained by socioeconomic and demographic variables, particularly poverty and income.

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