designing healthy communities s tate land use strategies that support healthy lifestyles john d....

Designing Healthy CommunitiesState Land Use Strategies that Support Healthy Lifestyles

John D. Ratliff, Esq., Assoc. AIANational Governors AssociationCenter for Best [email protected]

NGA Policy Academy on Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Dec. 1-3, 2004

Today I’ll talk about…

• The evidence:– How does land use affect physical activity

rates?– What are current land use patterns like?

• Examples of state policies that support healthy, active lifestyles

• First steps for state leaders

Explaining the Obesity Epidemic Our choices and modern conveniences affect activity levels

Photos from Microsoft Office Clip Art and Media Gallery (http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?lc=en-us)

Explaining the Obesity Epidemic

Community design affects activity levels

Photos courtesy of Active Living by Design’s “Land Use and Public Health” presentation (http://www.activelivingbydesign.org/) and the Pedestrian & Bicycling Information Center (http://www.pedbikeimages.org/index.cfm)

Explaining the Obesity Epidemic

Community design affects activity levels

Image courtesy of Will Flessig Director of Planning and Design, Continuum Partners (http://www.continuumpartners.com/)

Sources: Ewing and Cervero, 2001; Holtzclaw, 1994Graph courtesy of Active Living by Design’s “Land Use and Public Health” presentation (http://www.activelivingbydesign.org/)

Building the Evidence Density Affects Travel Choices

Building the EvidencePeople Walk More in Dense, Mixed-Use Communities

Source: Saelens BE, Sallis JF, Frank LD. Annual Behavioral Medicine. 2003.

Photos courtesy of the Pedestrian & Bicycling Information Center (http://www.pedbikeimages.org/index.cfm)

Mixed-Use Neighborhood (homes, stores, offices, etc.)

Single-Use Neighborhood (all residential)

Between 1982 and 1997:

• urban land density dropped by over 20%

• 94% of metropolitan areas became less dense

• vehicle miles traveled grew more than 3 times as fast as population

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

% Change

Population UrbanizedLand

Vehicle MilesTraveled

U.S. Land Use Characteristics, 1982-97

Sources: Fulton, Pendall et al; 2001; Ewing, 1996Graph courtesy of Active Living by Design’s “Land Use and Public Health” presentation (http://www.activelivingbydesign.org/)

Building the Evidence We’re Living in Greater Sprawl

From 1982 to 1995:

• Population rose 20%

• The average length of commute rose 36%

• Total miles we drove increased 55%

• Time we spent in traffic increased 236%

• Trips made by walking declined by 42%

Sources: National Personal Transportation Survey, Local Government Commission, Corless and Ohland, 2001Graph courtesy of Active Living by Design’s “Land Use and Public Health” presentation (http://www.activelivingbydesign.org/)

-50

0

50

100

150

200

250

Percent Change

2036

55

236

-42

Building the Evidence We’re Driving More

State Strategies – Designing for ActivityOverview

• Promotional/educational campaigns • Development initiatives • Revitalization policies • Transportation policies • School policies• Green space policies • Funding coordination

State StrategiesDesigning for Activity

Walk Smart, Virginia!•Launched by Governor Mark Warner in 2003

•Administered by the Virginia Departments of Health and Education

•www.walksmartvirginia.com

1. Promotional / Educational Campaigns


2. Development Initiatives

Michigan’s Cool Cities Initiative•Launched by Governor Jennifer Granholm in 2003

•Emphasis on walkable streets, gathering places, and numerous job opportunities

•www.coolcities.com


3. Revitalization Policies

PA’s Elm & Main Street Programs•Elm St. launched by Governor Ed Rendell in 2004

•The 2 programs reinvest in and rebuild a walkable mix of business and homes in historic downtown centers

• www.newpa.com/index.html


New Jersey Transit Villages•Created in 1999

•Gives priority funding to communities that create amenities around transit with safe ped access

•www.smartgrowthgateway.org/transit_help.shtml

4. Transportation Policies


SC School Siting Policies•In 2003, law created to:

1. eliminate schools’ minimum acreage standards2. revise building codes that made it difficult to convert commercial buildings to schools

•http://www.scstatehouse.net/code/t59c023.htm

5. School Policies


Delaware Green Infrastructure E. O.•Governor Ruth Ann Minner signed Executive Order #61 in October 2004

•All state agencies must preserve green space on state-owned lands

•www.state.de.us/governor/orders/webexecorder61.shtml

6. Green Space Policies


MA Office of Commonwealth Dev.•Governor Mitt Romney created the office in early 2003

•Coordinates funding and assistance in 4 areas: housing, environment, energy, and transportation

•www.mass.gov/ocd/

7. Funding Coordination

State StrategiesFirst Steps

State leaders are:

1) working across agencies to develop community design strategies that support active, healthy lifestyles

2) coordinating funding and other resources to target assistance to the areas where development and growth is most desired

3) using their positions as public figures to promote physical activity

Active Living LeadershipProviding Assistance to State and Local Leaders

Thank You

John D. Ratliff, Esq., Assoc. AIA

Director – Environment, Energy & Natural Resources

National Governors Association

Center for Best Practices

202-624-7740

[email protected]

designing healthy communities s tate land use strategies that support healthy lifestyles john d....

Documents

designs land use

land use characteristics

activity levelsimage

continuum partners http

current land use patterns

flessig director of

media gallery http

singleuse neighborhood