Comment

Comment by Kadie Bell on March 30, 2012 at 8:40am

FREE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE:

PLANS, POLICIES AND PRACTICES for SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

 

Free technical assistance is available to help communities implement sustainability and livability strategies that attract growth, protect the environment, improve public health, facilitate job creation and economic opportunity, and improve overall quality of life.  Competitively awarded grant funds from US EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities’ Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program to Forterra (formerly Cascade Land Conservancy) and the Building Sustainable Communities Consortium will provide technical assistance to help communities get the kinds of development they want. 

 

Forterra is offering free technical assistance to 4-7 jurisdictions in Washington State this year.  The following types of technical assistance are available (learn more): 

• Compact Infill Development
• Transfer of Development Rights (TDR)
• Local Infrastructure Financing
• Complete Streets and Active Transportation
• Healthy Communities
• Citizen Engagement in the Planning Process

The Building Sustainable Communities Consortium includes Forterra, Greenbelt Alliance, Envision Minnesota  and the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance.  Technical assistance will be provided to communities in four regions throughout the country: Central Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, the San Francisco Bay Area in California, the Twin Cities Metro Area and Greater Minnesota and the Greater Boston Area in Massachusetts.  The technical assistance will be provided by experienced, locally-based organizations and will help interested communities implement the Livability Principles developed by the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.  

 

 

How to Apply

To apply, a letter of interest and an application form must be submitted to Forterra.  Please review the Application Instructions for details on how to submit an application.  Applications must be received by April 30, 2012 at 5pm.  Late applications will not be accepted.  Applicants will be notified in May 2012 regarding the acceptance or rejection of their request for technical assistance.  The Building Sustainable Communities Consortium reserves the right to reject incomplete applications or applications not meeting the criteria.

 

SELECTION CRITERIA

Applications will be evaluated based on need, readiness, potential impact and likelihood of success.    In order to ensure that this assistance successfully reaches communities representing a range of scales and demographics, including those that may not have the capacity to provide as thorough applications as communities with more resources, 20% of the assistance will be targeted to rural or low resource communities.  Please review the full description of the Selection Criteria for more details. 

Comment by Kadie Bell on March 19, 2012 at 1:25pm

 

Public release date: 15-Mar-2012

Contact: Darcy Spitz
darcy.spitz@heart.org
212-878-5940
American Heart Association

Children in low-income neighborhood with special walking/bike trail
exercised more

American Heart Association meeting report

Children living in a neighborhood designed with a special bike trail
were three times as likely as those in a traditional neighborhood to
engage in vigorous physical activity, according to new research
presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and
Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2012 Scientific
Sessions.

Researchers compared two low-income neighborhoods in Chattanooga, Tenn.
One had a "new urbanist construction" that features a
specially-designed, two-mile, extra-wide trail/sidewalk for biking and
walking that winds from new public housing and single-family residences
to a school, library, recreational facility, park and retail shops. The
other area has traditional homes, public housing, a new school, park and
an older, regular-width sidewalk.

"There was more vigorous activity in the park and along the trail," said
Gregory W. Heath, D.H.Sc., M.P.H., the study's lead author and assistant
provost for research and engagement at the University of Tennessee at
Chattanooga and the UT College of Medicine. "There was more jogging or
bike riding, which makes sense because the urban trail was made for that."

In previous studies on this type of community feature, researchers
focused mostly on suburban or upper-income neighborhoods, Heath said.

"Infrastructural changes like these are expensive," said Heath, who is
also professor of health and human performance and medicine. "But quite
frankly in the long run, they're worth it."

###

Co-author is S. White-Woerner, B.S. Author disclosures are on the
abstracts. The Middle Tennessee State University Center for Physical
Activity and Health in Youth funded the study.

Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at
American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the
study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or
position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to
their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding
primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including
pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make
donations and fund specific association programs and events. The
association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from
influencing science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device
corporations are available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding.

NR12-1048 (Epi/NPAM 2012/Heath)

Note: Actual presentation is 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET, Thursday, March 15, 2012.

Additional Resources:

To learn more about physical activity and children, visit: American
Heart Association physical activity and children.
Also visit American Heart Association Healthier Kids.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-03/aha-cil030912.php

Comment by Kadie Bell on March 5, 2012 at 1:00pm

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The following report assesses the “State of Opportunity” in King County, Washington. An “opportunity

mapping” analysis conducted by the Kirwan Institute was made possible through a small grant funded by

the Poverty and Race Research Action Council (PRRAC). The Kirwan Institute is a national leader in

conducting opportunity mapping to support social and racial justice initiatives. The goal of the

opportunity mapping initiative is to explore how low income groups and racial and ethnic populations

are situated within King County’s geography of opportunity.

 

http://www.psrc.org/assets/6894/king_county_wa_opportunity_mapping_...

Comment by Kadie Bell on February 9, 2012 at 8:57am

Health Reform and Prevention Series   A Movement for Prevention: Advocacy and Partnerships in YOUR Community Wednesday, March 14, 2012 | 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM Pacific, 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM Eastern Register now

 

Physical Activity and Health Series   James F. Sallis, PhD, Professor of Psychology, San Diego State University, Director, Active Living Research  Moderator and Organizer   Green Places, Play Spaces, Income, and Race: How Parks and Recreation Can Support Physical Activity among Diverse and Underserved Populations Wednesday, January 18, 2012 Getting Physical: The Public Health Approach to Active Living Wednesday, December 7, 2011

 

"Healthy People Live in Healthy Places" Series A Three Part Web Forum Series on Designing Public-Private Partnerships to Promote Healthier Communities   Sandra R. Hernández, MD, Chief Executive Officer, The San Francisco Foundation, Former Director of Public Health for the City and County of San Francisco Moderator and Organizer   The Built Environment: Health Policy in Concrete Tuesday, November 29, 2011   Healthy Homes: You Are Where You Live Moderator: Francesca Vietor, Environment Program Officer at The San Francisco Foundation Thursday, January 19, 2012   Supportive Housing: Bring Care into Homes Moderator: Mark Cloutier, Program Director of Community Health, Public Policy, and Civic Engagement at The San Francisco Foundation Wednesday, March 21, 2012 | 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM Pacific

Comment by Kadie Bell on February 7, 2012 at 1:18pm

Want Healthier Restaurants in Town? Here's a New Approach

Families are eating out more than ever: Americans today spend half – yes, half! – their food budgets on restaurant food. That can translate into a lot of calories from restaurant kitchens.

What can local governments do to motivate these eateries to shape up their menus? Check out our new toolkit, "Putting Health on the Menu," to find out how to create a program that gives restaurant owners plenty of incentives to upgrade the nutritional quality of their offerings. Then contact us for help adapting our model program to your community's needs.

Comment by Kadie Bell on February 7, 2012 at 1:17pm

Healthy Transportation Planning: Get on Board!  

You already know why public health advocates should get involved in transportation planning: the way our roads and public transit systems are designed has a lot to do with how much exercise we get, our exposure to noise and air pollution, our risk of getting into traffic accidents, and more.

But it's not always easy to figure out how to get into the game. Download "Getting Involved in Transportation Planning" for a practical how-to guide to navigating the maze of agencies that oversee the process. This guide was produced in partnership with TransForm, a nonprofit working to create walkable communities and world-class public transportation.

Comment by Amalia - SvR Design Company on February 3, 2012 at 1:54pm

Bicycling and Walking in the U.S.: 2012 Benchmarking Report is an essential resource and tool for government officials, advocates, and those working to promote bicycling and walking. The Benchmarking Project is an on-going effort by the Alliance for Biking & Walking to collect and analyze data on bicycling and walking in all 50 states and the 51 largest U.S. cities. 2012%20BikePed%20Benchmarking%20Report%20FACT%20Sheet.pdf

http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/memberserv...

Comment by Amalia - SvR Design Company on February 3, 2012 at 1:33pm

Good List of Walking/Running Resources including activities, events, and links for Seattle and King County.

http://www.seattle.gov/encore/health/walking.htm

Comment by Amalia - SvR Design Company on February 3, 2012 at 12:02pm

Seattle Department of Transportation posted some examples of bike facilities in Seattle: http://sdotblog.seattle.gov/2012/01/31/the-many-flavors-of-bicycle-...

Comment by Kadie Bell on February 1, 2012 at 1:40pm

What: Healthy Places Research Group February Discussion

When: Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Where: University of Washington
Health Sciences Center, Room H-670
Click here for a map.

Time: 3:30–5:00 p.m.

The New Federal Transportation Bill: Implications for Health and Safety

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is busy this week with legislation in the US House about transportation reform. It is the largest transportation reform bill since the interstate highway system was created in 1956. So, not surprisingly, this bill has tremendous impact on the health of our communities, the accessibility of active transportation, and the direction of our local, state, and national transportation networks.

According to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act will reform and streamline programs, cut red tape in the project approval process, increase states' flexibility in determining their most critical transportation needs, and encourage private sector participation in financing and rebuilding infrastructure. David Goldberg will discuss this new bill and its implications for health and safety.

The Northwest Center for Public Health Practice and the Department of Urban Design and Planning invite you to attend the monthly meeting of the Seattle Healthy Places Research Group (HPRG). This group welcomes public health and planning faculty, researchers, students, practitioners, and others interested in exploring the relationship between the built environment and the health of communities.

David A. Goldberg has been a leader in the movement for smarter development, sustainable communities and transportation reform for over a decade. As communications director for Smart Growth America, David assisted dozens of organizations at the national, state and local levels in developing winning messages and building a movement around those issues. A nationally recognized journalist, he is the author of Choosing Our Community's Future: A citizen's guide to getting the most from development, and Rethinking the American Dream, a popular handbook for journalists covering planning issues. David helped to write the groundbreaking book Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change, and he has testified before Congress. David is currently the communications director for Transportation for America.

Event listing on NWCPHP website.

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