Designing Healthy Communities for the Next Generation

1
Designing Healthy Communities for the Next
Generation

• State Land Use Strategies that Impact Childhood
  Obesity

Governors Summit for Healthy Virginians Nov.
29-30, 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?
• Types of state policies that support physical
  activity for children
• 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/)
8
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/)
9
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 spend 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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Building the Evidence Childrens Activity is on
the Decline Obesity is on the Rise
Source Surface Transportation Policy Project
Data Analysis 2001 Graph courtesy of Active
Living by Designs Land Use and Public Health
presentation (http//www.activelivingbydesign.org/
)
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Building the Evidence Fewer Children Walk to
School

• 1 in 4 trips for children are to or from school.
• 10 of these trips are made by walking and
  bicycling.

• Children who walk to school declined 23 from
  1985-1995.
• But, 28 of children walk or bicycle when they
  live one mile or less from home.

Sources 1995 Nationwide Personal Transportation
Survey Health Smart Growth Building Health,
Promoting Active Communities by the Funders
Network for Smart Growth Livable Communities
(http//www.fundersnetwork.org/usr_doc/Health_and_
Smart_Growth.pdf) Photos courtesy of the
Pedestrian Bicycling Information Center
(http//www.pedbikeimages.org/index.cfm)
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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 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