Designing Healthy Communities

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Designing Healthy Communities

• State Land Use Strategies that Support Healthy
  Lifestyles

NGA Policy Academy on Chronic Disease Prevention
and Management Dec. 1-3, 2004
John D. Ratliff, Esq., Assoc. AIA National
Governors Association Center for Best
Practices 202-624-7740 jratliff_at_nga.org
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Today Ill 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

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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/defau
lt.aspx?lcen-us)
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Explaining the Obesity Epidemic Community
design affects activity levels
Photos courtesy of Active Living by Designs
Land Use and Public Health presentation
(http//www.activelivingbydesign.org/) and the
Pedestrian Bicycling Information Center
(http//www.pedbikeimages.org/index.cfm)
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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/)
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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/)
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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/)
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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/)
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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/)
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Building the Evidence Density Affects Travel
Choices
Sources Ewing and Cervero, 2001 Holtzclaw,
1994 Graph courtesy of Active Living by Designs
Land Use and Public Health presentation
(http//www.activelivingbydesign.org/)
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Building the EvidencePeople Walk More in Dense,
Mixed-Use Communities
Mixed-Use Neighborhood (homes, stores, offices,
etc.)
Single-Use Neighborhood (all residential)
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)
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Building the Evidence Were Living in Greater
Sprawl

• 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

Sources Fulton, Pendall et al 2001 Ewing,
1996 Graph courtesy of Active Living by Designs
Land Use and Public Health presentation
(http//www.activelivingbydesign.org/)
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Building the Evidence Were Driving More

• 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

236
55
36
20
-42
Sources National Personal Transportation
Survey, Local Government Commission, Corless and
Ohland, 2001 Graph courtesy of Active Living by
Designs Land Use and Public Health
presentation (http//www.activelivingbydesign.org/
)
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State Strategies Designing for
ActivityOverview

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

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State StrategiesDesigning for Activity
1. Promotional / Educational Campaigns

• Walk Smart, Virginia!
• Launched by Governor Mark Warner in 2003
• Administered by the Virginia Departments of
  Health and Education
• www.walksmartvirginia.com

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State StrategiesDesigning for Activity
2. Development Initiatives

• Michigans Cool Cities Initiative
• Launched by Governor Jennifer Granholm in 2003
• Emphasis on walkable streets, gathering places,
  and numerous job opportunities
• www.coolcities.com

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State StrategiesDesigning for Activity
3. Revitalization Policies

• PAs 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

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State StrategiesDesigning for Activity
4. Transportation Policies

• 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

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State StrategiesDesigning for Activity
5. School Policies

• SC School Siting Policies
• In 2003, law created to
• 1. eliminate schools minimum acreage standards
• 2. revise building codes that made it difficult
  to convert commercial buildings to schools
• http//www.scstatehouse.net/code/t59c023.htm

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State StrategiesDesigning for Activity
6. Green Space 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.sht
  ml

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State StrategiesDesigning for Activity
7. Funding Coordination

• 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/

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State StrategiesFirst Steps

• State leaders are
• working across agencies to develop community
  design strategies that support active, healthy
  lifestyles
• coordinating funding and other resources to
  target assistance to the areas where development
  and growth is most desired
• using their positions as public figures to
  promote physical activity

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Active Living LeadershipProviding Assistance to
State and Local Leaders
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Thank You
John D. Ratliff, Esq., Assoc. AIA Director
Environment, Energy Natural Resources National
Governors Association Center for Best
Practices 202-624-7740 jratliff_at_nga.org