Development of a pedestrian walkability database of Northern Kentucky using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Background: Rising obesity rates in the United States has spurred efforts by health advocates to encourage more active lifestyles including walking. Ensuring the availability, quality and safety of pedestrian walkways has become an important issue for government at all levels.

Methods: Pedestrian paths in Campbell County Kentucky were evaluated using a ranking criteria developed by the Walking and Bicycling Suitability Assessment (WABSA) project at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health.