{"id":5825,"date":"2025-12-02T01:44:36","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T01:44:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/tieuc\/?page_id=5825"},"modified":"2025-12-12T21:28:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T21:28:44","slug":"access-to-exercise-opportunities-in-nct","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/tieuc\/dashboards\/access-to-exercise-opportunities-in-nct\/","title":{"rendered":"Access to Exercise Opportunities in NCT"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u00a0Access to Exercise Opportunities \u2013 Dashboard Summary<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This dashboard visualizes the&nbsp;<em>Access to Exercise Opportunities<\/em>&nbsp;metric across the&nbsp;<strong>24 North Central Texas (NCT)<\/strong>&nbsp;counties from&nbsp;<strong>2014 to 2024<\/strong>.<br>The dataset reflects the percentage of residents with adequate access to walkable areas, gyms, parks, recreational centers, and other physical activity infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This tool allows users to explore&nbsp;<strong>county-level differences<\/strong>, understand&nbsp;<strong>regional disparities<\/strong>, and track&nbsp;<strong>changes over time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&nbsp;Dashboard Components<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Interactive Map (Primary Filter)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The map displays the 24 NCT counties with color shading based on the&nbsp;<strong>current year\u2019s Access to Exercise Opportunities score<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Darker colors<\/strong>\u00a0\u2192 Higher access<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lighter colors<\/strong>\u00a0\u2192 Lower access<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0<strong>Clicking on any county filters the bar chart and trend line to ONLY that county<\/strong>, allowing deeper review of local performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Demographics Context (County Profiles)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the dashboard focuses on exercise access, the 24 counties differ significantly in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Population size<\/strong>\u00a0(from rural counties like Somervell &amp; Hamilton to urban centers like Dallas, Tarrant &amp; Collin)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Urbanization<\/strong>\u00a0(urban counties tend to have higher proximity to parks &amp; fitness facilities)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Median income levels<\/strong>\u00a0(affluent counties show better infrastructure availability)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Land area &amp; density<\/strong>\u00a0(rural counties often show lower percentages due to geographic spread)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Health disparities<\/strong>\u00a0(regions with higher poverty &amp; limited transit tend to have lower access indicators)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These demographic factors help contextualize disparities seen on the map.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. County Comparison Bar Chart (Current Year)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This bar chart allows a side-by-side comparison of all 24 counties for the selected year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Patterns Observed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Highest Access Counties:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Dallas<\/em>\u00a0(~1063)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Collin<\/em>\u00a0(~1008)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Tarrant<\/em>\u00a0(~1038)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Denton<\/em>\u00a0(~1025)<br>These are highly urban, high-population counties with extensive recreational facilities, structured city planning, and dense population centers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lowest Access Counties:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Comanche<\/em>\u00a0(~157)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Hamilton<\/em>\u00a0(~293)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Bosque<\/em>,\u00a0<em>Hill<\/em>,\u00a0<em>Eastland<\/em>\u00a0also remain on the lower end<br>These rural counties have fewer built facilities and larger land areas, resulting in lower access percentages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Trend Across Years (2014\u20132024)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This line chart shows how Access to Exercise Opportunities has changed over time for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>entire region<\/strong>\u00a0when no county is selected<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>selected county only<\/strong>\u00a0when the map filter is used<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Trend Insights<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>2014\u20132015 jump<\/strong>: Significant increase from ~1195 to ~1521 indicates rapid expansion of recreational access infrastructure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2016\u20132021 stability<\/strong>: Values plateau around 1480\u20131503.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2022 decline<\/strong>: Noticeable dip to ~1399, potentially tied to:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Temporary facility closures<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pandemic after-effects<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Funding disruptions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Population shifts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Recovery in 2023\u20132024<\/strong>: Climbing back toward ~1510, suggesting reopening of public amenities and renewed investment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&nbsp;How to Use the Dashboard<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Map \u2192 Bar Chart + Trend Filter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select any county on the map<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>bar chart<\/strong>\u00a0will highlight that county\u2019s standing for the year<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>trend line<\/strong>\u00a0updates to show that county\u2019s performance from 2014\u20132024<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clear selection to reset the view to all counties<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Year Filter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use the&nbsp;<strong>year selector<\/strong>&nbsp;to quickly examine any single year and see how counties compare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&nbsp;Interpretation Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Urban counties consistently outperform rural counties due to higher density of fitness centers, public parks, sidewalks, and transit connectivity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rural counties show chronically low access, reflecting geographic barriers and resource limitations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Region-wide investment led to strong improvement from 2014\u20132015, followed by steady performance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The 2022 decline and 2023\u20132024 recovery indicate infrastructure reopening and renewed support after the pandemic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The dashboard allows policymakers, researchers, and public health decision-makers to identify where infrastructure gaps still exist and prioritize counties most in need.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class='tableauPlaceholder' id='viz1764639896776' style='position: relative'><noscript><a href='#'><img alt='Dashboard 1 ' src='https:&#47;&#47;public.tableau.com&#47;static&#47;images&#47;Ex&#47;Exerciseopportunities&#47;Dashboard1&#47;1_rss.png' style='border: none' \/><\/a><\/noscript><object class='tableauViz'  style='display:none;'><param name='host_url' value='https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.tableau.com%2F' \/> <param name='embed_code_version' value='3' \/> <param name='site_root' value='' \/><param name='name' value='Exerciseopportunities&#47;Dashboard1' \/><param name='tabs' value='no' \/><param name='toolbar' value='yes' \/><param name='static_image' value='https:&#47;&#47;public.tableau.com&#47;static&#47;images&#47;Ex&#47;Exerciseopportunities&#47;Dashboard1&#47;1.png' \/> <param name='animate_transition' value='yes' \/><param name='display_static_image' value='yes' \/><param name='display_spinner' value='yes' \/><param name='display_overlay' value='yes' \/><param name='display_count' value='yes' \/><param name='language' value='en-US' \/><\/object><\/div>                <script type='text\/javascript'>                    var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1764639896776'); 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