leadership for healthy community - action strategies toolkit

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Ladshp fHalhy CmmusAdvancing Policies to SupportHealthy Eating and Active Living

ACtion StrAtegieS tooLkit

A Guide or Localand State LeadersWorking to CreateHealthy Communitie

and PreventChildhood Obesity

Leadership or Healthy Communities is a national program o

the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.


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Leadeshp o Healh Communes Action Strategies Toolkit May 20092

Dear Colleagues,

You may have heard the prognosisi the obesity epidemic in America continues

unchecked, this generation o young people may be the rst in U.S. history to live

sicker and die younger than their parents generation. The magnitude o the epidemic

means that everyone has a role to play in its reversal, especially because the solution

requires policy and environmental changes on many levels.

For example, while parents can be good role models and create healthy environments

at home, and the ood and beverage industry can take greater responsibility or the

nutritional content o the products it oers and promotes, policy-makers are the ones

who have the power to make important decisions that aect peoples opportunities to

eat healthy oods and be physically active within their communities.

Research shows that where we live can impact how well we live. Today, many o our

communities are unhealthy. Too requently, amilies lack access to ull-service grocery

stores that stock aordable healthy oods, and children dont have sae places to play

or even walk. We want to work together to create environments that pave the way or

healthier liestyles. Healthy communities provide amilies with convenient access to

aordable healthy oods; sae places to walk, ride a bicycle and play; and schools that

oer nutritious oods and plenty o opportunities or physical activity. Across the

country, policy-makers, community leaders and people in the private sector are

collaborating to build such neighborhoods, but we still have a long way to go.

In the United States, more than 23 million children and adolescents are overweight

or obese. That means nearly one in three young people are at a higher risk or serious,

even lie-threatening health problems, such as asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular

disease. In addition, it is important to emphasize that childhood obesity rates are

highest among Latino children and Arican-American girls.

These trends are likely to create additional pressures on our nations overburdened

health care system. Studies estimate the obesity epidemic costs the country more

than $117 billion per year in direct medical costs and indirect costs related to reduced

productivity and absenteeism.

The need or action is clear.


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www.leadeshpohealhcommunes.og 3

To help meet this need, the Action Strategies Toolkit was developed by Leadership

or Healthy Communities in close collaboration with the ollowing organizations:American Association o School Administrators;

Council o State Governments;

International City/County Management Association;

Local Government Commission;

National Association o Counties;

National Association o Latino Elected and Appointed Ocials Educational Fund;

National Association o State Boards o Education;

National Conerence o State Legislatures;

National League o Cities Institute or Youth, Education, & Families;

National School Boards Association; and

United States Conerence o Mayors.

Leadership or Healthy Communities, a national program o the Robert Wood Johnson

Foundation, was created to support local and state leaders nationwide in their eorts

to promote healthy, active communities and access to aordable healthy oods. The

strategies in this toolkit include promising and evidence-based practices that advance

these goals and build upon the work in which policy-makers are already engaged.

Through daily decisions about budgets, laws, regulations or zoning, policy-makers

can help develop healthier and more viable communities. For example, government

leaders can acilitate land-use policies, such as mixed-use development, and support

public parks and transit options, including walking paths and bicycle lanes. They

can create incentives to attract supermarkets and armers markets to underserved

communities and improve the nutritional quality o oods and beverages in schools.

Putting the strategies in this toolkit into action will take strong, coordinated leadership

by policy leaders nationwide. Through collaboration among states, counties, cities and

schools, policy-makers can meet their constituents demand or healthy living as they

take steps to reduce health care costs and improve health care perormance in their

communities. As the leaders o policy-maker organizations at every level o govern-

ment, we believe that the strategies presented in this toolkit have tremendous potential

to change the trajectory o our childrens uture.


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Daniel A. DomenechExecutive DirectorAmerican Association o SchoolAdministrators

Larry E. NaakeExecutive DirectorNational Association o Counties

Robert J. ONeill, Jr.Executive DirectorInternational City/CountyManagement Association

William PoundExecutive DirectorNational Conerence o StateLegislatures

Arturo VargasExecutive DirectorNational Association oLatino Electedand Appointed Ocials Educational Fund

Brenda L. WelburnExecutive DirectorNational Association o State Boardso Education

When policy leaders unite or a common purpose, it enables communities to tap into

a larger network o social and nancial resources. Together, we can support healthyschools, healthy communities and healthy children.

David AdkinsExecutive DirectorCouncil o State Governments

Donald J. BorutExecutive DirectorNational League o Cities

Anne L. BryantExecutive DirectorNational School Boards Association

Tom CochranExecutive DirectorUnited States Conerence o Mayors

Judy CorbettExecutive DirectorLocal Government Commission

Maya Rockeymoore CummingsDirectorLeadership or Healthy Communities


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The dramatic rise in childhood obesity has implications

or health care spending and quality o lie. As states und

programs rom nutrition to long-term care, they must

responsibly act to aect the liestyle choices o individualsto curtail the costs o providing those services.

New Jese Assemblman Heb Conawa, cha o New Jeses and he

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DESIGNING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES: THE POLICY-MAKER ROLE ...............8

Childhood Obesity Epidemic .......................................................................................8

Reversing Childhood Obesity Requires Changing Policies

and Local Environments ..............................................................................................9

Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Lower-Income Families are at

Greatest Risk or Obesity ..........................................................................................10

Policy Action Can Help .............................................................................................11

ACTION STRATEGIES FOR HEALTHIER KIDS AND COMMUNITIES .............. 12

How to Use the Toolkit .............................................................................................. 12

Process for Developing this Toolkit............................................................................13

PArt 1. ACtiVe LiVing AnD tHe BUiLt enVironMent ................14

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ...........................................................................15Improve Safety for Bicyclists and Pedestrians ...........................................................15

Expand Trails, Bicycle Lanes and Connections.......................................................... 19

Examples of Implementing Active Living Transportation............................................. 22

LAND USE FOR ACTIVE LIVING ..................................................................... 24Re-Evaluate Urban Design and Comprehensive Land Use Plans

to Improve Active Living ............................................................................................24

Improve Community Design Features to Encourage Physical Activity ........................28

Examples of Improving Land Use and Development for Active Living ........................31

OPEN SPACES, PARKS AND RECREATION .................................................. 32Increase Access to Recreation Facilities and Open Spaces,

Including Parks and Community Gardens .................................................................32

Examples o Supporting Active Parks and Recreation Facilities .................................36

QUALITY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN AND NEAR SCHOOLS ..............................38Offer at Least 30 Minutes of Quality Physical Activity Daily ........................................38

Consider Requiring Standards-Based Physical Education Classes

Taught by Certied PE Teachers................................................................................ 42

Support Walk to School and Safe Routes to School (SRTS)Programs.......................45

Facilitate Joint-Use Agreements................................................................................48

Examples o Enabling Physical Activity In and Near Schools .....................................50

SAFETY AND CRIME PREVENTION ............................................................... 52Keep Communities Safe and Free from Crime to Encourage Outdoor Activity ...........52

Examples o Crime Prevention Eorts .......................................................................56


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PArt 2. HeALtHY eAting ......................................................................57

QUALITY NUTRITION IN SCHOOLS ...............................................................58Ensure that Students have Appealing, Healthy Food and Beverage

Choices in Schools ...................................................................................................58

Support Farm-to-School and School Garden Programs ............................................63

Implement a Standards-Based Health Education Program Taught by

Teachers Certied in Health Education......................................................................65

Examples o Promoting Nutrition and Health Education in Schools ...........................66

SUPERMARKETS AND HEALTHY FOOD VENDORS ...................................... 69Attract Grocery Stores that Provide High-Quality, Healthy Aordable Foods

to Lower-Income Neighborhoods.............................................................................. 69

Encourage Convenience Stores and Bodegas to Offer Healthier Food ......................73

Establish Healthy Mobile Markets..............................................................................76Examples o Increasing Community Access to Healthy Foods...................................78

FARM-FRESH LOCAL FOODS ....................................................................... 80Support Farmers Markets ........................................................................................ 80

Support Community Gardens ...................................................................................83

Support the Procurement o Locally Grown Food......................................................85

Examples o Increasing Access to Farm-Fresh Local Foods ......................................87

RESTAURANTS.............................................................................................. 89Encourage Restaurants to Oer Reasonably Sized Portions and

Low-Fat and Low-Calorie Menus .............................................................................. 89

Encourage Restaurant Menu Labeling ...................................................................... 91

Examples o Promoting Healthier Foods Choices in Restaurants ...............................93

FOOD AND BEVERAGE MARKETING ............................................................ 94Regulate the Marketing of Unhealthy Food in or near Schools

and Other Youth Facilities ......................................................................................... 94

Examples of Food and Beverage Marketing Policies ................................................. 96

ENDNOTES .................................................................................................... 97


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State and local leaders have the policy levers to address

this issue, but successul interventions require knowledge,

teamwork and careul planning.

Benda L. Welbun, Execuve Deco,

Naonal Assocaon o Sae Boads o Educaon

Reversing Childhood Obesity Requires ChangingPolicies and Local EnvironmentsGiven that an unhealthy environment is an important contributor to the childhoodobesity epidemic, reversing the trend will require policy action at all levels o government.Policy actions are necessary to eliminate the barriers to physical activity and healthyeating options, and provide more opportunities or children and amilies to engage in

those behaviors.

There is signicant evidence available indicating that many children dont haveopportunities to be physically active or access to healthy oods on a daily basis. Moreover,the environmental barriers to healthy behaviors are even larger in lower-income areas.

Communities with high levels o poverty are signicantly less likely to have placeswhere people can be physically active, such as parks, green spaces, and bicycle paths andlanes.7And although easy access to supermarkets that oer resh ruits and vegetablesis associated with lower body mass index, many neighborhoods in racial and ethnicminority, lower-income and rural areas tend to have more access to ast-ood restaurantsand convenience stores rather than grocery stores.8

In addition, ewer than 4 percent o elementary schools provide the weekly recommended

150 minutes o physical education to all students or the ull school year.9

At the sametime, youth have become more sedentary during their out-o-school hours. On a typicalschool day, 35.4 percent o adolescents in grades 9 to 12 spend three hours or morewatching television.10

According to William Dietz, director o the division o nutrition and physical activity atthe Centers or Disease Control and Prevention, The environmental actors are muchmore compelling toward obesity than they were 30 years ago.11

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Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Lower-Income Families

Are at Greatest Risk or ObesityAlthough obesity aects people o all demographics, the prevalence rates are morealarming or racial and ethnic minorities, lower-income amilies and people in theSoutheast region o the United States. Compared with 31 percent o white youths ages2 to 19, 34.9 percent o Arican-American youths and 38 percent o Mexican Americanyouths o the same age range are overweight or obese.12Moreover, 22 percent o childrenages 10 to 17 rom amilies below the poverty line are overweight or obese, compared with9 percent o children in amilies making our times that amount.13

In the last two annual reports by Trust or Americas Health, Mississippi, the pooreststate in the nation, was ranked as the most obese. In 2007, Mississippi was the only statewith an obesity rate above 30 percent. By 2008, it had been joined by West Virginia andAlabamawith obesity rates o 30.6 percent and 30.1 percent respectively. Seven o

the states with the highest poverty rates are also in the top 10 states with the highestobesity rates.14

Although there are many reasons that these disparities exist, a major actor is thatlower-income populations, which include many minority or rural communities, lackadequate opportunities or sae physical activity and access to nutritious oods, comparedwith higher-income populations.

Latinos have among the highest rates o obesity,

overweight and type 2 diabetes. The health of ourcommunities and the uture o our nation depend on

policy-makers ability to create a healthier, livable

environment or our children.

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Policy Action Can HelpState and local budgets are tight, particularly during dicult economic times. Fortunately,many o the action strategies outlined in this document are inexpensive and even providea return on the investment in the long run. With nearly one-third o American youtheither obese or overweight, the stakes are too high to do nothing about the direction oour childrens health.

Policy action in particular can help expand opportunities or physical activity and accessto healthy oods both in schools and communities. Initiatives led by policy-makers andcommunity leaders at all levels and o all party aliations play an important role insupporting healthy children. By highlighting policies and programs that can impact thehealth o children in schools and communities, this document encourages policy-makersto collaborate in order to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic and create healthier

communities.

We cannot aord to ignore the childhood obesity epidemic. The health o our childrenis the uture o our nation.

Photo: Roger Tully


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ACTION STRATEGIES FOR HEALTHIERKIDS AND COMMUNITIES

This document is a result of the collaborative efforts of 11 policy-maker

organizations, which represent public ofcials rom the state and local

levels o governance. For more than a year, representatives rom these

organizations have been engaged in a variety o activities including training

leaders in strategies to promote healthy eating and active living policies;

providing technical assistance to state and city-school teams; and working

with rural policy-makers to identiy strategies or promoting healthy eating

and active living.

How to Use the ToolkitThe strategies outlined in this document are divided into several policy areas in orderto increase awareness o the promising and evidence-based policy options to reducechildhood obesity. To acilitate ease o use among policy-makers with various jurisdictionsand areas o expertise, this toolkit has been organized into two main sectionsActiveLiving and the Built Environment, and Healthy Eatingeach o which is urtherdivided into subsections. Each subsection recommends targeted strategies based on theenvironmental setting, identies key stakeholders, outlines policy and program options,provides concrete directions on how to start programs, describes resources that can

help inorm the process, and includes examples o how other states and localities haveachieved progress.

Because the toolkit includes such an extensive list o Web-based resources, it is availableonline at www.leadershiporhealthycommunities.org. The resources, examples and the relatedURLs in the online toolkit were up to date as o April 10, 2009. To see the latest updates,visit the Leadership or Healthy Communities Web site. Please note that resources thatapply to more than one o the sections will appear in more than one place.


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Process for Developing this Toolkit

Leadership or Healthy Communities, a $10-million national program o the RobertWood Johnson Foundation, works with major policy-maker organizations to support stateand local leaders in their eorts to reduce childhood obesity through public policies thatpromote active living, healthy eating and access to healthy oods. The programs eortsare ocused especially on children rom racial and ethnic minority groups and those wholive in lower-income and rural communities.

The policy approaches and resources within this toolkit represent a collection ocurrent best approaches that have been identied, reviewed and selected by Leadershipor Healthy Communities and the 11 policy-maker organizations participating inthe program.

The policy options and resources were assessed using data and research rom thepublications, toolkits and databases o the ollowing organizations: Active LivingResearch, Active Living by Design, Albemarle State Policy Center, Healthy EatingResearch, Institute o Medicine, PolicyLink, Transtria LLC, Prevention Institute, PublicHealth Law & Policy, Healthy Eating Active Living Convergence Partnership, RobertWood Johnson Foundation, Trust or Americas Health, Centers or Disease Controland Prevention and program grantee organizations.

Most o the policy options were reviewed based on a scan o more than 100 researcharticles that linked specic policy actions to positive outcomes in healthy eating andphysical activity behaviors, with a ocus on research in vulnerable communities. Inaddition, recognizing that states and municipalities are oering new and innovativesolutions to childhood obesity prevention on a continuous basis, we also have includedpromising practices that Leadership or Healthy Communities and its program granteesbelieve to be important approaches to childhood obesity prevention. These belies arebased in part on more than two years o experience providing technical assistance to state,city, county and school ocials who are implementing these policies and practices intheir localities.

Policy and childhood obesity experts who reviewed this toolkit include: the Robert WoodJohnson Foundations Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity, National Policy and LegalAnalysis Network, Public Health Law & Policy, Prevention Institute, The Food Trust,Active Living Research, San Francisco Department o Public Health, Sae Routes toSchool National Partnership, District o Columbia Oce o Planning and Leadership orHealthy Communities co-chairs who are state, local and school district policy leaders.


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For the frst time in American history the next generation

is expected to have a shorter and sicker lie as a result o

the obesity epidemic. To conquer this epidemic, leadership

will be required. In order to fnd the creative solutions

necessary to address this challenge, we must embrace

the strength ound in diversity. Each o us comes to the

obesity epidemic with dierent perspectives, cultural

norms, expertise and experiences. Lets work to createopportunities or state leaders to come together to fnd

solutions and reverse this tragic trend.

Davd Adns, Execuve Deco,

Councl o Sae Govenmens

PArt 1: ACtiVe LiVing AnDtHe BUiLt enVironMent

Active Transportation

Land Use For Active Living

Open Spaces, Parks And Recreation

Quality Physical Activity In And Near Schools

Saety And Crime Prevention

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ACtiVE trANSPOrtAtiON

GOAL: To make bicycling and walking more viable

transportation options in communities to help reduce childhood

obesity rates. Policy-makers can increase opportunities or

physical activity by creating a built environment that supports

sae, active transportation.

1. Improve Safety for Bicyclists and Pedestriansthe issues and he reseach: There is a signicant body o evidence linkingtransportation, planning and community design to increased physical activity.15To increase physical activity opportunities in neighborhoods and combat some o the

saety issues, many communities have adopted Sae Routes to School (SRTS) programsand complete streets policies, with positive results. An analysis o 33 studies demonstratedthat children in neighborhoods with sidewalks and controlled intersections weremore physically active than children in neighborhoods with road hazards and unsaeintersections.16Another study ound that adding and improving bicycle lanes, tracsignals, sidewalks and crosswalks increased the number o children walking or bicycling toschool. Students were three times more likely to start walking or bicycling on routes thatincluded improvements than they were beore these improvements were made.17

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Potential Stakeholders

Policy-makersState and local elected and appointed ocials

School ocials (e.g., state boards o education, local school boardsand school administrators)

Other Government and Community StakeholdersTransportation ocials

Planning ocials

County and city health ocials

Law enorcement agencies

Community-based organizations

Community member

Policy and Program OptionsState unding and support o active transportationState policy-makers can actively support legislation that promotes saety or pedestriansand bicyclists. They also can provide unding or state and local transportation initiativesthat include sae, active living components.

Active transportation plans, complete streetsLocal governments can develop or re-evaluate long-term transportation plans that explicitlyset active transportation goals or walking or biking as modes o transportation. As parto these goals, they can implement complete streets in neighborhoods. The ollowing listincludes some complete streets measures that improve sae walking and biking options in

communities: Developapedestrianand/orbicyclemasterplanthatassessestheenvironmentfor

pedestrians and bicyclists, and makes inrastructure improvements that enhance saetyand walkability.

Establishseparatetrafclanesforbicyclistsandsidewalksforpedestrians.

Promotemoderatetrafcspeeds,especiallyonlocalresidentialandcommercialstreets,by designing narrower streets, sidewalk curbs, raised and clearly painted crosswalks,raised medians, wide sidewalks and streetscaping, which can include adding trees,hedges and planter strips.

Employothercriticalsafetymeasuresincludingappropriatelytimedlights,pedestriansignals, crossing guards near schools and sucient street lighting at night.

Retrotexistingroadsorintegrateimprovementsasnewroadsaredesigned.

Walk to school/Sae Routes To SchoolState and local leaders in communities and schools can support Walk to School and SaeRoutes to School programs. (See Support Walk-to-School and Sae-Routes-to-SchoolPrograms, page 45.)

tErMS:

Complee sees are streets

designed to unction in ways

that enable sae access or all

users. Pedestrians, bicyclists,

motorists and bus riders o all

ages and abilities are able to

saely move along and across

a complete street.

Seescapng includes

improving trafc manage-

ment, adding landscaping,sidewalks, building ronts

and street amenities, such as

garbage cans and benches.

tafc calmng involves

changing street alignment,

and adding barriers to

reduce trafc speeds and/or

cut-through volumes in order

to improve street saety and

unctionality or pedestrians.


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Getting Started

State legislators can introduce transportation legislation that dedicates unding streamstoward projects that would increase pedestrians and bicyclists saety. State andlocal bicycling and walking projects are eligible or unding under nearly all ederaltransportation programs. The Sae, Accountable, Flexible, Ecient Transportation EquityAct: A Legacy or Users (SAFETEA-LU), the ederal surace transportation legislation,promotes the integration o bicycling and walking with transportation systems. Underthis bill, states may be required to match a percentagetypically 20 percento ederalnancial assistance. States can generate unds rom the motor vehicle uel tax, motorvehicle registration ees, taxes or special license plate sales.

Local policy-makers and school district decision-makers can collaborate with communitypartners, such as city planners and health ocials, to identiy streets or improve multi-usepathways that would result in increased bicyclist and pedestrian use.

Local governments can conduct a walkability auditto identiy places or improvement

and assess the degree to which their community enables active living. They can alsousegeographic information system mapping to determine sae routes to school orimprovements to sidewalks, bicycle lanes, trails and street connectivity.

Local school and policy-makers can begin developing Sae Routes to School programs byworking with parent organizations, students, school administrators and teachers, local lawenorcement, city planners, health ocials and other stakeholders to identiy barriers thatmake it dicult or students to travel to school saely. Note: The ederal Sae Routes toSchool program provides 100 percent unding to states without requiring states to matchthe unding stream.

Resources

Active Living Resource CenterThis Web site provides policy-makers with resources and tools to help them incorporatewalking and bicycling into their communities. Active Living Resource Center operateswith unding rom the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.www.activelivingresources.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, KIDSWALK-to-School ProgramThis Web site provides inormation about KIDSWALK-to-School, a community-basedprogram to promote regular physical activity by encouraging students to walk to androm school in groups accompanied by adults. The program emphasizes communitypartnerships with schools, parent-teacher organizations, local businesses and other groupsto promote areas that are conducive to walking or bicycling.www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/Dnpa/kidswalk

Council o State Governments, Community Design or Active Living,Talking PointsThese talking points highlight why state legislators should be concerned about the impact ocommunity design on residents mental and physical health. The document also encouragesthe use oHealth Impact Assessments, which allow policy-makers to evaluate design projectsand policies in terms o their health implications. Health Impact Assessments can providepolicy-makers with ndings that help strengthen local partnerships, reduce health disparitiesand encourage public participation in the community design process.www.healthystates.csg.org/NR/rdonlyres/B30AFBC3-5428-4F2D-B980-C961E4EE2093/0/HealthyCommunityLiving_screen.pd

tErMS:

Walabl aud is an

unbiased examination/

evaluation to identiy concerns

or pedestrians related to the

saety, access, comort and

convenience o the walkingenvironment. The audit also

assesses potential policy,

educational or enorcement

alternatives or solutions.

Geogaphc nomaon

ssem (GiS) mappng

is a technological tool or

capturing, managing,

analyzing and displaying

all orms o geographically

reerenced inormation. In the

orm o maps, globes, reports,

and charts, GIS mapping

allows one to view, question

and interpret data in many

ways that reveal relationships,

patterns and trends.

Healh impac

Assessmens are a

combination o procedures,

methods and tools by which a

policy, program or project may

be judged as to its potential

eects on the health o a

population and the distribution

o those eects within the

population.


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Local Government Commission, Community Design, Health

and Physical ActivityThis online resource provides community design tools and inormation or local electedocials and community leaders dedicated to promoting healthier communities. Thisorganization helps communities become healthier and more livable by creating walkableand bicycle-riendly neighborhoods with a mix o uses and nearby destinations.www.lgc.org/issues/communitydesign/health_physical_activity.html

National Center for Bicycling and Walking (NCBW)This Web site provides inormation about the NCBW, a program o the BicycleFederation o America, Inc. NCBW provides community-based workshops, consultingservices, training programs or public and transportation agencies, and economicdevelopment and tourism planning analysis.www.bikewalk.org

National Complete Streets CoalitionComplete street policies direct transportation planners and engineers to consistentlydesign streets with all users in mind. Policy-makers can use the inormation and resourceson this site to improve the way their roads are planned, designed and constructed.www.completestreets.org/policies.htmlwww.completestreets.org

National Policy and Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity(NPLAN), Built EnvironmentNPLANs Web site provides leaders in the childhood obesity prevention eld withocused legal research, model policies, act sheets, toolkits, training and technicalassistance to explain legal issues related to public health. For example, they oerrelevant sets o talking points about complete streets, zoning and Sae Routes to School.www.nplanonline.org/ocus/community-environment

Public Health Law and Policy, How to Create and ImplementGeneral Healthy PlansPublic Health Law and Policys Planning or Healthy Places program aims to includepublic health advocates in community planning projects. While this toolkit wasdeveloped or local governments in the state o Caliornia, policy-makers nationwidecan use the inormation to promote healthier environments in their cities.www.healthyplanning.org/toolkit_healthygp.html

The Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) National PartnershipThe SRTS National Partnership is a network o more than 400 nonprot organizations,government agencies, schools and proessionals working to advance the SRTS movement.The project can help policy-makers and other stakeholders work with state departments

o transportation to increase physical activity in schools, make the best use o availableederal SRTS unds, and remove policy barriers to walking and bicycling to schools.www.saeroutespartnership.org

Surface Transportation Policy Partnership (STPP)This Web site provides tools and inormation about surace transportation policyand issues. STPP is a nonprot organization ounded with the goal o promotingtransportation policies and projects that protect the environment, benet the economy,promote social equity and support livable communities.www.transact.org


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U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration:

Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efcient, Transportation, Equity Act:A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU)This Web site provides a variety o materials, including the ull text o theSAFETEA-LU legislation and the related congressional report, act sheets on theprograms and provisions, plus unding tables showing SAFETEA-LU authorizations.www.hwa.dot.gov/saetealu/index.htm

2. Expand Trails, Bicycle Lanes and Connectionsthe issues and he reseach: Over the past 30 years, aspects o our builtenvironment have made it dicult or children and amilies to walk or ride a bicycleoutdoors or recreation or transportation. However, research shows that well-connected

trails providing residents with access to community destinations is a low-cost interventionthat reduces some barriers individuals ace in being physically activecost, inconvenienceand inaccessibility.18 In a survey o rural Missouri residents, more than hal said that theywalked more ater a nearby trail opened.19Similarly, a 2007 study o planning directorsand residents o 67 North Carolina counties showed that more sidewalks; bicycle lanesand trails; morewalkable, mixed-use development; and strong planning policies wereassociated with higher levels o physical activity.20In act, residents o counties with activeliving environments were more than twice as likely to ride a bicycle or walk than residentsin other counties, and this association was even stronger among lower-income residents.21

Potential StakeholdersPolicy-makersState and local elected and appointed ocials


Planning ocials

Parks and recreation ocials

Community-based organizations

Community members

Policy and Program OptionsOpen space policies to encourage activity

State and local policy-makers can support policies that create open spaces that can includerecreational greenways. Because evidence also suggests that aesthetics and saety areimportant considerations when increasing biking and walking around town, policy-makersmay want to consider including landscaping and saety measures in open-space policies.

Trail connectivity to increase walking and bikingState and local policy-makers also can support policies and unding that build trailsthrough neighborhoods to connect homes with schools, which would allow children toride a bicycle or walk to school without having to cross busy, unsae streets. State andlocal policy-makers can consider policies that ensure sidewalk continuity and direct

tErMS:

Walable communities

acilitate pedestrian

transportation by locating

homes, businesses, schools,

shops and other services,

which are connected by

sidewalks, bicycle lanes and

trails, within an easy and sae

walk rom each other.

Open space is land that has

been set aside or public use.

It is typically void o any

man-made structures.

Geenwas are linear open

spaces that link parks and

communities around the city,

such as paths or trails. They

provide public access to green

spaces and opportunities or

residents o all ages and

abilities to be physically active.


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routes or pedestrians and bicyclists, including connections between dead-end streetsand culs-de-sac. Ideally, trails and sidewalks should connect to a variety o town resources,such as schools, grocery stores, libraries and other acilities.

Rails to trails or recreation and transportationState and local public ocials can work together to convert out-o-service rail corridorsinto trails using rail banking.

Trail accessibilityState and local policy-makers can support policies that increase access to walking trails.

Getting startedState and local policy-makers can re-evaluate comprehensive plans and develop a bicyclemaster plan to identiy ways to expand trails and connections. They also can integrate theconnection o paths, sidewalks, trails, services and acilities into broader transportationplanning.

Local policy-makers can call or the use o geographic inormation systems to determineland-use trends and walkability characteristics, such as street connectivity and sidewalks.

Local policy-makers can partner with health ocials to ensure that comprehensive plansincorporate physical activity opportunities.

State and local policy-makers also can order a health impact assessment.

State and local policy-makers can access ederal unding or bikeways and trailsthrough the U.S. Department o Transportations Sae, Accountable, Flexible, Ecient,Transportation, Equity Act: A Legacy or Users (SAFETEA-LU) programs, such as the

Transportation Enhancement Program.

State and local policy-makers can consider methods or land acquisition, easements and

partnerships with conservation groupsall o which would acilitate the developmento open spaces.

ResourcesCouncil o State Governments, Community Design or

Active Living, Talking PointsThese talking points highlight why state legislators should be concerned about theimpact o community design on residents mental and physical health. The documentalso encourages the use o Health Impact Assessments, which allow policy-makersto evaluate design projects and policies in terms o their health implications. HealthImpact Assessments can provide policy-makers with ndings that help strengthen

local partnerships, reduce health disparities and encourage public participation in thecommunity design process.www.healthystates.csg.org/NR/rdonlyres/B30AFBC3-5428-4F2D-B980-C961E4EE2093/0/HealthyCommunityLiving_screen.pd

tErMS:

ral banng is the practice

o leaving the tracks, bridges

and other inrastructure

intact or potential use as

trails or to preserve railroad

rights-o-way.

tanspoaon

Enhancemen Pogam

is a program authorized

through the Sae,

Accountable, Flexible,Efcient Transportation

Equity Act: A Legacy or

Users (SAFETEA-LU) that

designates approximately

10% of the states Surface

Transportation Program

apportionment to strengthen

the cultural, aesthetic and

environmental aspects o

the nations intermodal

transportation system
http://www.healthystates.csg.org/NR/rdonlyres/B30AFBC3-5428-4F2D-B980-C961E4EE2093/0/HealthyCommunityLiving_screen.pdfhttp://www.healthystates.csg.org/NR/rdonlyres/B30AFBC3-5428-4F2D-B980-C961E4EE2093/0/HealthyCommunityLiving_screen.pdfhttp://www.healthystates.csg.org/NR/rdonlyres/B30AFBC3-5428-4F2D-B980-C961E4EE2093/0/HealthyCommunityLiving_screen.pdf


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National Association o Counties, Transportation Solutions to Create

Active, Healthy Counties: Collaboration or Childhood Obesity PreventionThis issue brie ocuses on the causes and implications o childhood obesity and stressesthe role that local transportation leaders play in addressing these issues. For example,leaders play a crucial role in enhancing bicycle and pedestrian saety, building bikewaysand trails, improving public transportation systems and increasing saety along studentroutes to and rom schools.www.naco.org/Template.cm?Section=New_Technical_Assistance&template=/ContentManage-ment/ContentDisplay.cm&ContentID=27724

National Center for Bicycling and Walking (NCBW)This Web site provides inormation about the NCBW, a program o the BicycleFederation o America, Inc. NCBW provides community-based workshops, consultingservices, training programs or public and transportation agencies, and economicdevelopment and tourism planning analysis.

www.bikewalk.org

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Trail Building ToolboxThis toolbox provides basic inormation communities need to build trails. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a nonprot organization working with communities to preserveunused rail corridors by transorming them into trails.www.railstotrails.org/whatwedo/trailbuilding/technicalassistance/toolbox/toolbox_index.html

Sustainable Communities Network, Smart Growth Design ToolsThese tools help policy-makers visualize community design, land-use and transportationissues in their planning processes.www.smartgrowth.org

Smart Growth, Smart Energy ToolkitThis toolkit provides policy-makers with useul inormation on model bylaws, case studiesand other inormation on topics such as inclusionary zoning and environmental justice.www.mass.gov/envir/smart_growth_toolkit/pages/how-to-SG.html

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration,Recreational Trails Program (RTP)This Web site provides policy-makers with inormation about RTP, which gives undsto states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related acilities or bothnon-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The RTP unds are distributed tostates by legislative ormula: hal o the unds are distributed equally among all states andhal are distributed in proportion to the estimated amount o non-highway recreationaluel use in each state.www.hwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails

U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration: Safe,Accountable, Flexible, Efcient, Transportation, Equity Act: A Legacyor Users (SAFETEA-LU)This Web site provides a variety o materials, including the ull text o theSAFETEA-LU legislation and the related congressional report, act sheets on theprograms and provisions, plus unding tables showing SAFETEA-LU authorizations.www.hwa.dot.gov/saetealu/index.htm


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Examples of Implementing Active Living Transportation

STATEPublic Land in North Carolina Open for Bicycling and WalkingNorth Carolina law requires that any land purchased or leased with state unds mustprovide access to bicyclists and pedestrians (unless it damages the environment or apre-existing law prohibits it).http://tp.legislature.state.nc.us/Sessions/2007/Bills/Senate/PDF/S1383v4.pd

LOCALColumbia Connects the Town Through Trails and Bicycle LanesColumbia, Mo., received a $25-million ederal grant rom the Federal HighwayAdministration (FHWA) to develop a non-motorized transportation system thatconnects businesses and shopping centers to parks, schools, neighborhoods, naturetrails and other acilities through a comprehensive system o walkways and bikeways.

Columbia received the grant money as part o a FHWA non-motorized transportationpilot program that involved three other communities. The more than 100 miles onew bikeways, pedways and sidewalks in Columbia allow people to rely less on cars.The ve-year project, called GetAbout Columbia, includes unds to develop a Web siteand online bike maps, and conduct special events and trainings. Funding or these andother active living projects in Columbia comes rom a variety o sources, including citysales taxes, private oundations and ederal government grants. Columbia earmarks undsrom a ve-year renewable sales tax or improvements to its sidewalk and trail system,and it has received a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant through the FoundationsActive Living by Design national program.www.getaboutcolumbia.com

Chicago Adopts Complete Streets Policy to Improve Bicycle SafetyChicago adopted a complete streets policy mandating that the saety and convenience

o pedestrians and bicyclists be considered in all uture transportation projects. Thecomplete streets policy is part o a more comprehensive Sae Streets or Chicagoprogram, which includes enorcement, inrastructure and saety technology. Some saetytechnology includes public awareness eorts; countdown crossing signals; and policiesand design standards, which include the development o a long-term pedestrian plan.www.biketrafc.org/content.php?id=1024_0_16_0_Cwww.usmayors.org/chhs/healthycities/documents/guide-20080306.pd

Shelby Connects Trails to Town FacilitiesWith a population o 3,327, the city o Shelby in Eastern Montana is small and isolated.With the help o several outside unding sources, Shelby Mayor Larry Bonderud anda committee composed o city workers and residents planned a six-mile paved walkingand biking trail that links the business district, residential neighborhoods, civic center,hospital and schools to public lands. Funding sources included the city o Shelby;

the Community Transportation Enhancement Program; the Montana Fish, Wildlieand Parks Urban Recreational Trails Program; and in-kind contributions o labor andmaterials. In 2006, Shelby received a $4,000 planning grant rom the Montana Nutritionand Physical Activity Program to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases (NAPA),unded by the Centers or Disease Control and Prevention.www.nwpublichealth.org/docs/nph/s2008/baehr_s2008.pd


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We are all aware that the rapid rise in obesity rates

particularly among youthoreshadows serious health

problems. For local leaders, the trend also presents

quality-of-life and scal challenges. That is why a

growing number o city and county ofcials and school

administrators see the urgency to collaborate to address

this epidemic by making it easier or all residents to live

more active lives and eat healthy ood.

robe J. ONell, J., Execuve Deco,

inenaonal C/Coun Managemen Assocaon

Pho

to:

Interna

tiona

lCity

/Coun

tyManagemen

tAssoc

iation


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GOAL: To increase opportunities for physical activity, help reduce

pollution and improve economic development by providing more

green space and walkable, mixed-use development.

1. Re-Evaluate Urban Design and ComprehensiveLand-Use Plans to Improve Active Livingthe issues and he reseach: A walkable neighborhood means that residents can

easily walk or ride a bicycle rom home to places they need to go, such as schools,shops and workplaceswhenever and as oten as they want. A large number o studieshave shown that adults living in walkable neighborhoods are more physically active.22Evidence also suggests that youth get more regular physical activity when they haveopportunities to walk or ride a bicycle rom home to school or other destinations.23Not surprisingly, residents are more likely to walk or ride a bicycle i they have accessto public transportation, and live in a city center, close to a grocery store, drug store orother businesses.24In act, according to one study, residents o communities with a mixo shops and businesses within easy walking distance have a 35 percent lower risk oobesity than residents o communities that do not have these services within easy walkingdistance.25Furthermore, researchers who analyzed data rom more than 3,000 youth in

LAND USE FOr ACtiVE LiViNG

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to:

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tty

Images

/Dav

idBu

fng

ton


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Atlanta determined that young people ages 5 to 18 are more likely to walk i they live inmixed-use neighborhoods with nearby schools, parks and businesses.26 A 2003 study o448 metropolitan counties ound that people who live in compact, higher-density countiesare less likely to be obese and spend more time walking than people who live in moresprawling counties.27


School ocials (e.g., state boards o education, local school boardsand school administrators

Other Government and Community Stakeholders

Transportation ocialsPlanning ocials



Housing ocials

Economic (re)development ocials

Business owners

Community members

Policy and Program Options

Urban planning approachesLocal policy-makers can consider urban planning approaches that promote walkablecommunities and enhanced community access to bicycle acilities and transportationelements that prioritize the interconnection between walking, bicycling and mass transit.For example, plans can assess the connection between public transit stations, sidewalksand bicycle routes to encourage public transit, walking and biking.

Mixed-use developmentLocal policy-makers can work with planners to oster walkable, sae communities bylocating businesses, recreation centers, parks, libraries and other acilities near publictransportation and major roads. Local policy-makers, planners and school districts ocialscan consider siting new schools within a 15-minute walk to residential areas. I schools,oces and retail outlets are situated in proximity to each other, children and their amiliesare more likely to have multiple transportation options.

Active transit-oriented developmentLocal and state policy-makers can consider adopting ordinances or implementingprograms that encourage transit-oriented development(TOD), which promotes thedevelopment o compact, pedestrian-riendly housing, oces and retail shops in closeproximity to transit stations or stops. State policy-makers can adopt legislation thatprovides incentives to TOD. At the local level, policy-makers can adopt zoning overlaysthat provide density bonuses around transit, can lower parking requirements and provideother incentives to support higher density development that takes advantage o theinvestment in transit.

tErMS:

Mxed-useneghbohoods

are communities that include

buildings or a set o buildings

that are zoned or a variety

of uses. They can include

some combination o

residential, commercial,

industrial, ofce, institutional

or other land uses.

tans-oened

developmen is a develop-

ment pattern created around

a transit acility or station that

is characterized by higher

density, mixed uses; a sae

and attractive pedestrian

environment; reduced parking;

and direct and convenient

access to the transit acility.


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Form-based zoning codesLocal and state policy-makers can consider orm-based zoning codes, which have becomean increasingly popular approach to encourage the creation o communities where peoplewant to live, work and play.

Additional incentives, ordinances or active livingAnother option is a traditional neighborhood developmentordinance or an overlay

zone that encourages walkability and accessibility. Local policy-makers can considerusingTransfer of Development Rights programs, where development rights aretranserred rom one district to another. Local policy-makers also can provide incentivesand zoning ordinances to encourage the development o a variety o housing options,such as multi-family units. They can provide developers with incentives, such asdensity bonuses and ee waivers, and require developers to provide mixed-incomehousing opportunities.

Getting StartedThrough the authorization o nancial incentives, state legislatures can play a role insupporting mixed-use development.

Local policy-makers, who are responsible or developing comprehensive land-useplans and making acility siting decisions, and developers, who make the nancialinvestments, can:

hostroundtablesortownhallmeetingstoinvitethepublictoreviewland-useplansand zoning ordinances;

identifyareasunderservedbyretail; usegeographicalinformationsystemstodetermineland-usetrendsandwalkability

characteristics, such as street connectivity and sidewalks; partnerwithhealthofcialstoensurethatpublichealthispartofcomprehensive

plans or community planning; callforahealthimpactassessment;and incorporatephysicalactivityopportunities.State and local policy-makers can raise unds to support activity-riendly development orimprove a communitys inrastructure usingTax Increment Financing programs.

Local governments can participate in a Business Improvement District.

Local and state government policy-makers can revisit comprehensive plans when anytype o major inrastructure is built in order to integrate easible enhancements.For example, policy-makers can consider enhancing bikeways i street improvementsare being made.

Local policy-makers can expand active living opportunities or youth and adults byestablishing ajoint-use agreementbetween communities and schools, includingcolleges and universities.

School district ocials can consider the convenience o biking or walking to schoolwhen deciding whether to renovate an existing school or to build a new school.

tErMS:

Fom-based zonng codes

concentrate frst on the visual

aspect o development:

building height and bulk,

aade treatments, the

location o parking, and the

relationship o the buildings to

the street and to one another.

Simply put, orm-based codes

emphasize the appearance

and qualities o the public

realm, the places created

by buildings. As such, they

provide an opportunity tocreate a high-quality environ-

ment that works or all users,

including pedestrians. Form-

based codes have been

applied in new growth areas,

in existing neighborhoods,

in limited situations to special

districts, and in wholesale

code revisions or entire

communities.

tadonal neghbohood

developmen is a compact,

mixed-use neighborhood,

where residential, commercial

and civic buildings are within

close proximity to each other.

Ovela zonng is additional

or stricter standards to

existing zoning that can be

used to protect particular

natural or cultural eatures.

tanse o Developmen

rghs programs use the

market to implement and pay

or development density and

location decisions by allowing

landowners to sever develop-

ment rights rom properties

in government-designated

low-density areas. This makes

it possible or development

to be sold to purchasers who

want to increase the density odevelopment in areas that local

governments have selected as

higher-density areas.

Mul-aml uns are ree-

standing buildings composed

o two or more separate living

units, with each unit having

its own bedroom, kitchen and

bathroom acilities.

terms continued on next page


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Resources

Centers or Disease Control and Prevention, Health ImpactAssessment ToolPolicy-makers can use the inormation on this Web site to improve their understandingo the Health Impact Assessment process, which examines a policy, program or project interms o its potential health impact on a population. It incorporates public health issuesinto areas that traditionally all outside o this realm, including transportation and land use.www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/hia.htm

Council o State Governments, States Promote Transit-OrientedDevelopmentThis article examines the emergence o state-promoted transit-oriented development.Transit-oriented developments are centered around mass transit systems in order toencourage walking, bicycling and mass transit ridership. It eliminates the need or

automobile usage, which benets the environment and reduces trac and congestion.www.csg.org/pubs/Documents/sn0803SmartGrowth.pd

Local Government Commission, Community Image Survey CDThe Community Image Survey CD is a tool or helping policy-makers and theirconstituents address community design, land-use and transportation issues. It uses imagesto help participants evaluate the existing environment and envision their communitysuture. Tailored or the needs o each community, the survey provides a oundation orplanning and implementation eorts.www2.lgc.org/bookstore/list.cm?categoryId=1

Local Government Commission, Creating Great Neighborhoods,Density in Your CommunityThis report addresses the need to consider community density during the design process.

According to the report, when density is properly incorporated into design projects,there is an increased potential to oster a sense o community, preserve open spaces,provide housing options, achieve local economic development goals and create walkableneighborhoods.www.lgc.org/reepub/docs/community_design/reports/density_manual.pd

International City/County Management Association, Creating a Blueprintor Healthy Community Design, A Local Government Guide to Reorming

Zoning and Land Development CodesDesigned or local government ocials, this guide provides a strategic ramework orreorming zoning and related development codes to encourage the design o morecompact, vibrant and healthy communities.http://icma.org/upload/library/2005-08/%7BB0B1B25D-AF97-4432-967C-4174F1213716%7D.pd

Leadership for Healthy Communities, Tax Increment Financing:A Tool or Advancing Healthy Eating and Active Living, Policy BriefThis policy brie examines the promise o Tax Increment Financing as a means o undinginitiatives that promote healthy kids and healthy communities.www.leadershiporhealthycommunities.org/images/stories/lhc_policybrie_ti_31.pd

tErMS:

Dens bonuses allow

developers to build more units

and exceed limits established

by the zoning district, i the

additional units provide other

public benefts. For example,

communities have used

density bonuses to protect

open spaces and provide

mixed-income housing.

tax incemen Fnancng

(TIF) can function differently in

each state, but the approach

generally involves local

governments subsidizing

costs by raising unds ordevelopment projects through

the issuance o bonds

guaranteed by uture

increases in property tax

revenue. The increased

revenue is generated as a result

of the new development and/

or as a result o pay-as-you-go

notes fnanced by accumulated

TIF fund tax revenues.

Busness impovemen

Dscs are public-private

partnerships among

property owners and

commercial tenants who

collectively contribute to the

maintenance, development

and promotion o their

commercial district.

Jon-use ageemens

are agreements between a

school district and another

entity, such as a city, county,

nonproft or private organiza-

tion, regarding the sharing o

capital, operating costs and

responsibilities or a acility.
http://www2.lgc.org/bookstore/list.cfm?categoryId=1http://www2.lgc.org/bookstore/list.cfm?categoryId=1


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Smart Growth, Smart Energy Toolkit

This toolkit provides policy-makers with useul inormation on model bylaws, case studiesand other inormation on topics such as inclusionary zoning and environmental justice.www.mass.gov/envir/smart_growth_toolkit/pages/how-to-SG.html

Starting a Business Improvement District (BID), a Step-by-Step GuideThis report highlights the importance o BIDs and also outlines the necessary steps inestablishing one. While this tool was published by the New York City Department oSmall Business Services, it can be used by any community interested in developing a BID.http://home2.nyc.gov/html/sbs/downloads/pd/bid_guide_complete.pd

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and CDBG Toolkiton Cross Cutting IssuesThis Web site provides inormation about the CDBG program, which provides

communities with resources to address a wide range o unique community developmentneeds. The toolkit provides inormation about nancial management; the environmentalreview process; ederal labor standards; rules o air housing and non-discriminationpractices; and statutes, regulations, orms and other documents that guide the acquisitionand relocation process or state and local governmental organizations.www.hud.gov/ofces/cpd/communitydevelopment/toolkit/index.cmwww.hud.gov/ofces/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs

2. Improve Community Design Features to EncouragePhysical Activitythe issues and he reseach: Almost two-thirds o youth all short o the U.S.

Surgeon Generals recommendation or 60 minutes o physical activity on most days.28An analysis o studies in six communities ound that, on average, residents in highlywalkable neighborhoods took twice as many walking trips as people in less walkableneighborhoodsmostly to work or to run errands.29The Centers or Disease Control andPrevention has determined that the number o people who exercise at least three timesweekly can increase by 25 percent i leaders create and improve places to be active.30


Others Government and Community StakeholdersPlanning ocials



Community members


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Street and sidewalk accessibilityState and local policy-makers can improve the pedestrian experience in downtownareas and retail centers, and make entrances to civic buildings, such as schools, directlyaccessible or pedestrians. They can adopt a complete streets (see page16) policy,develop a pedestrian master plan and/or a bicycle master plan, and examine the undingmechanisms to increase investment in pedestrian acilities.

Design guidelines to encourage activityLocal and state policy-makers can develop guidelines aimed at providing wider sidewalks,trees that shade parks and paths, benches or people to rest, o-street parking andwalkways rom parking to sidewalkseorts that can contribute to higher rates o physicalactivity. In addition, state and local governments can lead eorts to create walkableenvironments around historic and cultural eatures o the community. Local policy-makers can adopt design and construction guidelines that make stairs more appealing andencourage people to use them. Signs could be placed near both elevators and stairs as wellas in shopping malls, train and bus stations, schools and libraries.

Getting StartedState and local policy-makers can work with their departments o transportation to balancethe needs o motorists with those using other modes o transportation, such as bicyclists.Local policy-makers can consider the ratio o building height to street right-of-waywidth tocreate a comortable pedestrian experience (ideal ratio: 1:3 to 1:2); ensure that roadwaysand crossings are adjacent; and consider trac volume, speed and crossing distances.

Local ocials can conduct a walkability audit to identiy locations that are not sae orcomortable or walking and places or improvement.

ResourcesInternational City/County Management Association,Active Living

and Social Equity: Creating Healthy Communities or All Residents.A Guide or Local GovernmentThis report examines the link between health and the built environment, and it describesa number o ways that local governments can remove barriers and promote health equity.Solutions include increasing walkability and pedestrian saety; providing sae bicyclepathways and open spaces; improving transportation inrastructure; and increasing oodaccess and aordability.http://icma.org/upload/library/2005-02/%7B16565E96-721D-467D-9521-3694F918E5CE%7D.pd

Local Government Commission, Land-Use Planning ToolsThis site provides tools that can be used to increase public participation in communityand land-use planning. Tools include a computer simulation to allow the public toconceptualize what the redesigned area will look like; a visual survey allowing the publicto rate an image on a scale o one to 10; and land-use mapping that allows the public tocreate dierent development strategies using board games or computer sotware.www.lgc.org/reepub/community_design/participation_tools/index.html

tErMS:

See-gh-o-wa is

publicly owned land that

contains both the street and

a strip o land on either side

o the street that holds

appurtenant acilities

(i.e., sidewalks, sewers

and storm drains).


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National Center for Bicycling and Walking (NCBW)

This Web site provides inormation about the NCBW, a program o the Bicycle Federationo America, Inc. NCBW provides community-based workshops, consulting services,training programs or public and transportation agencies, and economic development andtourism planning analysis.www.bikewalk.org

National Conerence o State Legislatures, The Legislative Role in HealthyCommunity DesignThis report examines state legislation during a two-year period that encourages physicalactivity and access to healthy ood. Much o this legislation was collaborative and requiredstate and local governments to come together to und, implement and oversee projects.www.ncsl.org/programs/pubs/summaries/0143580004-sum.htm

National Complete Streets Coalition

Complete street policies direct transportation planners and engineers to consistentlydesign streets with all users in mind. Policy-makers can use the inormation and resourceson this site to improve the way their roads are planned, designed and constructed.www.completestreets.org/policies.htmlwww.completestreets.org

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and CDBG

Toolkit on Cross Cutting IssuesThis Web site provides inormation about the CDBG program, which providescommunities with resources to address a wide range o unique community developmentneeds. The toolkit provides inormation about nancial management; the environmentalreview process; ederal labor standards; rules o air housing and non-discriminationpractices; and statutes, regulations, orms and other documents that guide the acquisitionand relocation process or state and local governmental organizations.www.hud.gov/ofces/cpd/communitydevelopment/toolkit/index.cmwww.hud.gov/ofces/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs


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Examples of Improving Land Use and Development

or Active LivingSTATEWashington State Growth Management ActTo promote physical activity, Washington has established the ollowing requirements:The land-use element o each county and municipal comprehensive plan must considerurban planning approaches that promote physical activity.

The transportation element o each county and municipal comprehensive plan mustinclude a pedestrian and bicycle component that includes collaborative eorts toidentiy improvements or pedestrian and bicycle acilities, and corridors that encouragecommunity access and promote healthy liestyles.

Each county and municipal transportation program must include enhanced bicycle orpedestrian acilities that promote non-motorized transit.

The State Parks Commission must maintain policies that increase the number o people

who have access to ree or low-cost recreational opportunities.

www.cted.wa.gov/DesktopModules/CTEDPublications/CTEDPublicationsView.aspx?tabID=0&ItemID=4567&MId=944&wversion=Staging

LOCALEscondido Becomes Vibrant, Mixed Development Including Parks,Walkways, BeautyA ve-acre site in Escondido, Cali., that was once a crime-ridden trailer park is now amixed-use, mixed-income development serving a vibrant community. Located alonga main corridor, the site provides 72 aordable apartments, 10 single-amily homesand nine shopkeeper units. The aesthetics include artistically painted buildings, andnative architecture and landscaping. A park, which includes a large playground, tot lots,cobblestone paths and trees, wraps around the development.www.ci.escondido.ca.us/depts/cs/housing/2006-cra-award.pd

Seattle Transforms Dilapidated Neighborhood into Vibrant CommunityThe Seattle Housing Authority worked closely with community members to rebuild aormerly crime-ridden and dilapidated hilltop neighborhood into a mixed-use, mixed-income and environmentally sensitive community. The mixed-income neighborhood iscomposed o hal rental units and hal owner occupied units, and the new developmentincludes parks, a public library, a health clinic and retail space. The more than 1,700 newunits are expected to consume less water, electricity and natural gas than the communitysprevious 716 units. In addition, the 600 rental housing units built by the Seattle HousingAuthority are all certied to be environmentally riendly at the highest standards. Thisproject is the nations rst Energy Star-rated rental housing development.www.smartgrowth.org/library/articles.asp?art=3315&res=1024

Cities and Counties Work with School Districts to Focus SchoolConstruction in Walkable CommunitiesDuring the past decade, a growing number o local governmentsrom Caliornia, toNorth Carolinahave started working closely with school systems to develop processesto ensure that schools are located in pedestrian-riendly settings. In some cases, localgovernments have worked directly with school districts to discuss land-use and growthplans, while in other cases, one or both partners have worked at the state level to easerules related to minimum acreage requirements and other standards that make it dicultto build or keep schools in older neighborhoods that are walkable.http://icma.org/documents/SGNReport.pd


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GOAL: To encourage tness, creativity and enjoyment of the

outdoors so that people become more physically active.

Policy-makers can strengthen policies and programs that provide

more open spaces, including parks and recreation acilities.

1. Increase Access to Recreation Facilities and OpenSpaces, Including Parks and Community Gardens

the issues and he reseach: An increasing body o evidence suggests that childrenwho live in communities with open spacessuch as parks, ball elds, nature centers, picnicareas and campgroundsare more physically active than those living in areas with ewerrecreation acilities.31One study that evaluated the relationship between access to a varietyo built and natural acilities and physical activity ound that the people with the greatestaccess were 43 percent more likely to exercise or 30 minutes on most days compared withthose with poorer access.32 Furthermore, a 2006 study o more than 1,500 teenage girlsound that they achieved 35 additional minutes o physical activity weekly or each parkthat was within a hal mile o their homes.33Another study showed that adults who livenear recreation acilities or have aesthetically pleasing places where they can be active havehigher levels o recreational physical activity.34, 35 For example, the results o a 2007 study

OPEN SPACES, PArkS ANDrECrEAtiON

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o low-income areas ound that people who live within one mile o a park exercised at arate 38 percent higher than those who lived arther away, and were our times as likelyto visit a park at least once a week.36


School ocials (e.g., state boards o education, local school boardsand school administrators)


Planning ocials



Economic (re)development committees

Private businesses (physical tness centers)

Local colleges and universities

Ater-school programs leaders

Community garden associations

Community members


Connectivity or increased activityState and local policy-makers can approve construction o new recreation acilitiesalong trails or public transit routes to make them more accessible to residents. Localgovernments and developers can consider locating new schools near parks andrecreation acilities.

Open spaces or active livingState and local policy-makers can develop policies avoring open spaces that caninclude recreational greenways. Open spaces can be developed through landacquisition, easements and partnerships with conservation groups. Policy-makers canintegrate greenway plans, trails and parks with land-use, transportation and economicdevelopment plans, and advocate or subdivision ordinances that require reservinga portion o land or trails and greenways. State and local ocials also can increaseunding or parks, trails and greenways.

Rehabilitation o blighted areas to create healthier environmentsState and local policy-makers can enact policies that assess the viability and sustainabilityo redeveloping blighted areas and vacant lots into productive economic and recreationalopportunities. Policy-makers can call or the conversion o vacant lots into communitygardens, parks and other green spaces. Local and state policy-makers can use U.S.Department o Housing and Urban Development Community Development BlockGrantunding, which targets development projects in vulnerable communities.

tErMS:

Commun Developmen

Bloc Gan (CDBG) programprovides communities with

resources to address

community development

needs. The program provides

annual grants on a ormula

basis to 1,180 general units of

local governments and states,

which includes entities o

states and municipalities that

have the power to levy taxes

and spend unds.


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Park expansion and maintenance in order to provide sae places to playLocal policy-makers can support policies that maintain and create new neighborhoodparks and pocket parks in close proximity to residents homes.

Joint-use agreements that increase activity optionsSchool and local government ocials can develop joint-use agreements that allowcommunity members to use school-owned recreation acilities. In turn, communities canoer acilities to schools, such as swimming pools.

Rails to trails or recreation and transportationState and local government ocials can work together to convert out-o-service railcorridors into trails using rail banking.

Getting StartedState and local policy-makers can identiy potential spaces that could be turned into areasor physical activity. Policy-makers can meet with urban designers, planners, engineersand school and community leaders to evaluate the availability o open spaces anddevelop a common vision or the communitys physical environment.

State policy-makers can establish statewide strategies or streamlining cleanup processesand provide nancial incentives to investors and developers. Local governmentscan partner with local businesses to sponsor the cleanup and maintenance o parkshighlighting the partnership at city-wide events held at the parks.

Local policy-makers can create a public-private partnership with local gyms and recreationacilities to provide lower-income residents with greater access to acilities at a signicantlyreduced cost. They can also ensure that the hours o community recreation acilities areextended.

Through joint-use agreements, local policy-makers can collaborate with service and

volunteer organizations; aith- and community-based organizations; local colleges anduniversities; and elementary, middle and high schools to provide recreational activitiesduring ater-school hours. In developing a joint-use agreement, leaders can create asteering committee consisting o representatives rom each party in the agreement. Thecommittee can review suggestions rom residents and community organizations. Inaddition, all parties can enter into cost-sharing agreements to ensure that additional costs(i.e., utilities and supplies) are airly distributed. They can support programs that providetraining on equipment.

ResourcesInternational City/County Management Association (ICMA),Active Living

and Social Equity: Creating Healthy Communities or All Residents.A Guide or Local GovernmentThis report examines the link between health and the built environment, and it describesa number o ways that local governments can remove barriers and promote health equity.Solutions include increasing walkability and pedestrian saety; providing sae bicyclepathways and open spaces; improving transportation inrastructure; and increasing oodaccess and aordability.http://icma.org/upload/library/2005-02/%7B16565E96-721D-467D-9521-3694F918E5CE%7D.pd

tErMS:

Poce pas are small parks

accessible to the general

public, requently developed

on a vacant lot or irregularly

shaped piece of land. They

can be part o a large building

projects public space

requirement.


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Local Government Commission, Land-Use Planning Tools

This site provides tools that can be used to increase public participation in communityand land-use planning. Tools include a computer simulation to allow the public toconceptualize what the redesigned area will look like; a visual survey allowing the publicto rate an image on a scale o one to 10; and land-use mapping that allows the public tocreate dierent development strategies using board games or computer sotware.www.lgc.org/reepub/community_design/participation_tools/index.html

National Conerence o State Legislatures, The Legislative Role in HealthyCommunity DesignThis report examines state legislation during a two-year period that encourages physicalactivity and access to healthy ood. Much o this legislation was collaborative and requiredstate and local governments to come together to und, implement and oversee projects.www.ncsl.org/programs/pubs/summaries/0143580004-sum.htm

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Trail Building ToolboxThis toolbox provides basic inormation communities need to build trails. TheRails-to-Trails Conservancy is a nonprot organization working with communitiesto preserve unused rail corridors by transorming them into trails.www.railstotrails.org/whatwedo/trailbuilding/technicalassistance/toolbox/toolbox_index.html

The Trust for Public Land, The Excellent City Park SystemThis report examines the role o parks in residents lives and makes suggestions orthe creation o more eective park spaces. It outlines Seven Factors o Excellencein evaluating parks including a clear expression o purpose; a continued planning andcommunity involvement process; and sucient assets in land, sta and equipment.www.tpl.org/content_documents/excellentcityparks_2006.pd

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Community

Development Block Grants (CDBG) and Community DevelopmentBlock Grants Toolkit on Cross Cutting IssuesThis Web site provides inormation about the CDBG program, which providescommunities with resources to address a wide range o unique community developmentneeds. The toolkit provides inormation about nancial management; the environmentalreview process; ederal labor standards; rules o air housing and non-discriminationpractices; and statutes, regulations, orms and other documents that guide the acquisitionand relocation process or state and local governmental organizations.www.hud.gov/ofces/cpd/communitydevelopment/programswww.hud.gov/ofces/cpd/communitydevelopment/toolkit/index.cm

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration,Recreational Trails Program (RTP)

This Web site provides policy-makers with inormation about RTP, which gives undsto states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related acilities or bothnon-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The RTP unds are distributed tostates by legislative ormula: hal o the unds are distributed equally among all states andhal are distributed in proportion to the estimated amount o non-highway recreationaluel use in each state.www.hwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails


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Examples o Supporting Active Parks and

Recreation FacilitiesLOCALNew Yorks Parks Department Helps Convert Vacant Lots into GardensA program o the New York Parks and Recreation Department, GreenThumb, supportsmore than 600 gardens that serve nearly 20,000 people. A majority o the gardens, whichare located in underserved neighborhoods, used to be vacant lots. Funding came romCommunity Development Block Grants.www.greenthumbnyc.org

Jogging Path Motivates Boyle Height Residents to Exercise MoreCommunity members in Boyle Heights, Cali., have long struggled to be active and saein their community. Boyle Heights is a predominantly lower-income Latino communityand like many other disadvantaged communities, its residents had little access to open

spaces. The local government worked with a coalition o community members andadvocacy groups to install a rubberized jogging path modeled ater one in a wealthier,nearby city. The new path is now used by Boyle Heights residents and people romneighboring communities.www.preventioninstitute.org/pd/BE_ull_document_110304.pd

Atlanta Adopts BeltLine Initiative to Interconnect Parks, Trails andLight-Rail RoutesThe Atlanta BeltLine Initiative will create a 22-mile corridor o interconnected parks, trailsand light-rail routes that surround the downtown area in order to address issues o urbansprawl, particularly trac and lack o green space. The completed project will connect 45neighborhoods and nearly 1,300 acres o new green space, plus improvements to 700 acreso existing parks. Funding or this project included ederal dollars, the creation o a

Tax Allocation District, which was the primary local unding source, as well as private

unding sources.www.beltline.org/BeltLineBasics/BeltLineHistory/tabid/1703/Deault.a