In 1969, 48 percent of students walked or biked to school. By 2001 that proportion had fallen to 15 percent. Increasing children's active travel toschool is important for a variety of reasons, particularly rising rates of childhood obesity and rising fuel costs. Recent studies indicate that elements of the built environment impact the amount of time people engage inphysical activity. This study evaluates two indicators of the urban form as measures of walkability potential; street connectivity and residential density around elementary schools in Pasco and Hillsborough counties in Florida. By controlling for school age based on the growth management legislation history in Florida, comparisons are made between four growth management eras. Pedestrian sheds of half-mile and one mile radii around school points are used as study areas. These indicators offer insight into the evolution of the urban form around elementary schools and the implications on students ability to walk to school. Preliminary findings suggest that walkability indicators in the vicinity of elementary schools built prior to1950 exhibit high levels of street connectivity and residential density.These values decline consistently until stricter school planning legislation was enacted, when values start to increase and sometimes approach pre-1950 levels. This pattern is stronger, however, in Hillsborough County.
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