title: Partnering to create a more livable city: the Livable St Louis Network.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physical inactivity is a major public health problem. While individual (eg, attitudes, values, beliefs) and social (eg, social support) factors play a role, access to an activity-safe local environment can have a significant influence. Environments that include accessible opportunities for physical activity, a component of livability, require cooperation from many sectors including nonprofit, government, educational, and for profit.
  This study used a mixed-methods network mapping approach to evaluate a multisector network focused on increasing the livability of St Louis, Missouri.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen network members participated in in-depth interviews about their livability partners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants identified 86 unique partners in the region, with a majority representing nonprofit and government organizations and fewer from the education and for-profit sectors. Participants trusted 88% of their partners and felt that 83% of partners shared their mission and vision. Trust and shared mission and vision varied across organization types. Specifically, 89% of nonprofit partners were thought to share a mission/vision and 87% were trusted. Participants felt that 87% of government partners shared their mission/vision and 91% were trusted. Participants shared mission/vision with 75% and trusted 75% of educational partners. Finally, 44% of for-profit partners were thought to share mission/vision and 100% were trusted. For-profit partners also had more positive influence than others, while government partners had the highest average negative influence. Finally, while most relationships were mutual, relationships with for-profit partners were mostly one-directional, with for-profit partners sending resources to other network members.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Livability efforts in St Louis might benefit from recruiting additional for-profit partners that provide the network with new perspectives and needed resources, and from cultivating positive partnerships with government organizations that can assist with local policy development and enforcement.
authors.affiliation: George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St Louis (Dr Harris and Mr Roche); Prevention Research Center, College for Public Health & Social Justice, Saint Louis University (Ms Estlund); Trailnet (Ms Mense); and College for Public Health & Social Justice, Department of Behavioral Science & Health Education, and Prevention Research Center, Saint Louis University (Dr Baker), St Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Jenine K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.forename: Amy K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Estlund
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mense
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D002958:City Planning; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008923:Missouri; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014504:Urban Health