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SHAPING ACTIVE, HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

HEALTH AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENTAn introduction

Shaping Active, Healthy Communities

• Volunteer-based health charity working to eliminate heart disease and stroke and to reduce their impact through the advancement of research, promotion of healthy living and advocacy

• Federation of 10 provincial Foundations, led and supported by a force of more than 130,000 volunteers

• Working to learn more about the link between the way we plan our communities, physical activity and health

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada - Who we are

Shaping Active, Healthy Communities

• To build awareness of the links between community design, physical activity and health

• To learn how people can shape and influence their community’s design to support more active, healthier living

• To introduce the Heart & Stroke Foundation’s Shaping Active, Healthy Communities Toolkit

PRESENTATION PURPOSE

Outline

WHAT?

• The link between community design, physical activity and health

WHY?

• The health impacts – why should we be concerned?

HOW?

• Some ideas and strategies for making our built environments healthier

WHO?

• The planning process, the decision-makers and getting involved –what can we do?

What is the built environment?

• The surroundings that we have created for our activities – buildings, roads, sidewalks, street furniture…everything

• Scale of surroundings or the built environment vary -- from large-scale urban areas to rural places and personal spaces

• Includes indoor and outdoor places

How did you get to the workshop today…and why?

What’s the link?HOW DOES OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND AFFECT OUR HEALTH?

• Research indicates a relationship between how our cities and towns are physically laid out and health

• Strong links between the transportation choices we make (i.e., driving, walking, cycling, taking the bus) and health risk factors, such as the lack of physical activity and obesity

• Clear links between the lack of physical activity and obesity and chronic diseases – heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc.

The link between community design, physical activity and health

Regional, county & municipal zoning, infrastructure investment, etc.

Density, mix, transportation options, connections, etc.

Amount of walking, cycling, transit use, recreation, etc

Physical inactivity, traffic accidents, pollution exposure, etc.

Regional, county & municipal zoning, infrastructure investment, etc.

Land Use & Policy – the big picture

• Plans: set out the principles and broad directions for land development

• Zoning: stipulates what kinds of land uses (e.g., commercial, residential, etc.) can go where

• Budgets: dictate where public investments are made (e.g., roads, sidewalks, transit, tree planting, etc.)

CITIES AND TOWNS LOOK THE WAY THEY DO LARGELY BECAUSE OF LOCAL, REGIONAL AND COUNTY POLICIES

1. LAND USE POLICIES AND PRACTICESRegional, county & municipal zoning, infrastructure investment, etc.

Density, mix, transportation options, connections, etc.

LAND USE + DENSITY = URBAN FORM

Land use: refers to the uses allowed on a specific property, block, or neighbourhood

• Typical land use types include residential, commercial, industrial, parks, and combinations of them

A B

LAND USE + DENSITY = URBAN FORM

Density: refers to the intensity of the use in a particular area

• Can be measured in many ways, including the number of housing units in an area, the amount of commercial floor space in an area, the number of jobs in an area, etc.

A B

LAND USE AND DENSITY

Policies that separated land uses, coupled with low density development has created problems

• Work, home, shopping and recreation became further separated

• Development became auto-focused – the mall, office parks, etc.

• Urban and rural sprawl became more common

A B


Where are these places and what do they have in common?

A B


Urban and rural sprawl have become major challenges

• Low density development combined with limited land use mix

• Places to work, rest, play and education are widely scattered

A B

TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS

• Low density development combined with limited land use mix limits transportation options

• Places to work, rest, play and education end up widely scattered

• Connections between them designed with the car in mind, not bike or

pedestrians


• Poor connections between places limit transportation options

• Bigger distances between places encourages more driving

Less than 1000 ft. (304.8 m) A to BRoute distance approx 4000 ft. (1.2 km)

Less than 1000 ft. (304.8 m) A to BRoute distance just over 1000 ft. (0.3 km)


• Uncomfortable and sometimes even unsafe built environments can limit options

• One of the biggest barriers to physical activity in sprawling communities is perceived lack of safety

• Safety Concerns keep 1 in 5 Canadians from walking or cycling


2. URBAN AND RURAL FORMDensity, mix, transportation options, connections, etc.

Amount of walking, cycling, transit use, recreation, etc

INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOUR

What choices are Canadians making now?• 91% of Canadian children and youth are not getting recommended levels of

physical activity

• Almost ½ of Canadians are physically inactive

• 41% spend less than one hour a week walking to school, to work or to do errands

• Walking and cycling rates are especially low in rural and suburban areas

• Residents are 65%more likely to walk in a neighborhood with sidewalks


Walking and bicycle share of urban travel


Walking and bicycle share of urban travel by age group

USA Germany The Netherlands


2. URBAN AND RURAL FORMDensity, mix, transportation options, connections, etc.

3. INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOURAmount of walking, cycling, transit use, recreation, etc

HEALTH IMPACTS

Body Mass Index BMI in BC – “Canada’s healthiest province”

2001 2003 2005

BMI ≥ 30 < 10.0% 10.0% - 14.9% 15.0% - 19.9% ≥ 20%

8.90 - 15.1415.15 - 18.9118.92 - 22.5922.60 - 26.4226.43 - 32.24No Data

HEALTH IMPACTS

Obesity Percentages

HEALTH IMPACTS

• Lack of physical activity is a key contributor to Canada‟s high overweight and obesity rates

• Nearly 60% of adults and 26% cent of our children are currently overweight or obese.

• Rate of overweight Canadian kids has nearly tripled since 1981

• National “inactivity level” in youth averages 58%

• Obesity is also associated with certain cancers, osteoarthritis, depression, and other diseases

HEALTH IMPACTS

• Risk of obesity goes up 6% for every hour spent in a car each day

• Risk of obesity goes down by almost 5% for every kilometre walked a day

• US study in Washington State indicated that average residents of “pedestrian-friendly” places weigh 7lb less than average resident in sprawling neighbourhood

HEALTH IMPACTS

• Obesity and physical inactivity is considered a “conveyor belt” to heart disease and stroke and other health concerns

• 1 in 3 obese children will be diabetic

• Obesity is strongly related to the development of chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and various cancers

• Low physical activity rates result in an estimated $5.3 billion per year in direct and indirect costs

OTHER HEALTH IMPACTS

• Many pedestrian and cyclist injuries due to poor and unsafe walking and riding conditions (i.e., poor built environment)

• Road design - wide arterials most dangerous

• Seniors and school kids most vulnerable

• More compact, mixed-use communities have lower traffic fatality rates than sprawling ones

A B

OTHER HEALTH IMPACTS

• Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease

• 7% more asthma among kids living in neighbourhoods with high traffic pollution

• Most vulnerable populations: elderly, young, people with asthma or other respiratory conditions, people with heart disease

A

B

“Land-use decisions are just as much public health decisions as are decisions about food preparation. …We must measure the impact of environmental decisions on real people, and we must begin… to frame those decisions in light of the well being of children, not only in this country but across the

globe.”

Richard JacksonDirector, National Center for Environmental HealthCentre for Disease Control (USA)

SHAPING ACTIVE, HEALTHY COMMUNITIESPart 2

Reimaging the link between community design, physical activity and health

Progressive regional, county & municipal zoning, infrastructure investment, etc.

Higher density, mixed-use walkable communities with good transportation options, connections, etc.

Increased walking, cycling, transit use, recreation, etc.

Improved physical fitness and activity levels, reduced traffic accidents, decreased air pollution emissions, etc.

Outline

WHAT?


WHY?


HOW?


WHO?


Community Design Strategies for Active, Healthy Living

1. INCREASE DENSITY AND MIX LAND USES – diversity!

2. EXPAND CONNECTIONS – bikes, people and transit

3. IMPROVE STREETS AND INFRASTRUCTURE – the public realm

4. IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSIT – connections to, through & between

5. RECREATIONAL FACILITIES – link, expand, diversify

INCREASE DENSITY AND MIX LAND USES

• Density is a misunderstood concept

• Not always supported (or understood)

• So….what is density? What does it look like?

A

B

C


• Increased density can create more compact, walkable communities

• Density without mixed use or walkable services and shopping can adversely impact neighbourhoods

=

Same density of 11.7 units per acre (Images: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy)

A B


Mixed-use development

• Mixing housing with other uses (places to learn, shop, work and play) increases the likelihood of people walking or biking to destinations

• Increasing the density of an area is an integral component to mixing land uses


• Infill: new homes (e.g., lane houses, cottages, etc.) built on existing lots

• Clustering: homes built closer together with shared gardens and green spaces

A

B

C

A B


Infill

• Infill development opportunities on unused and underused sites (e.g., old industrial land, surface parking lots, etc.)

• Opportunities in urban and rural areas


Higher density can also save public dollars

Per capita service cost

Residential density


Increasing density slide show in Hercules, California

• Existing conditions – strip development with no destinations to walk or ride to



• Mixed-use development hides parking lot; building added to corner; pedestrian crosswalks and improved bike lane



• More storefronts added at sidewalk







EXPAND CONNECTIONS

Remember - poor connections between places limit transportation options

Less than 1000 ft. (304.8 m) A to BRoute distance approx 4000 ft. (1.2 km)

Less than 1000 ft. (304.8 m) A to BRoute distance just over 1000 ft. (0.3 km)

A B

EXPAND CONNECTIONS

A formal bike network with signage, dedicated bike lanes (painted on roads, or separated lanes) improves safety and connections

A B

EXPAND CONNECTIONS

• Bike lanes can often be used by other wheeled transport

• Well-designed and maintained sidewalks and bike lanes can be used in all seasons

EXPAND CONNECTIONS

Improving pedestrian and bicycle connections in Alpine, California

• Existing conditions – no sidewalk or crosswalk, poorly marked bike lane

EXPAND CONNECTIONS


• New sidewalks with corner bulges to shorten crossing distance and improve pedestrian visibility, crosswalks, medians (pedestrian refuge), street trees, street lamps, and street furniture

EXPAND CONNECTIONS


• Building renovation and sidewalk-oriented infill development. Note awning on store – weather protection for pedestrians

EXPAND CONNECTIONS


• Further infill facing sidewalk

EXPAND CONNECTIONS


• Existing conditions – no sidewalk or crosswalk, poorly marked bike lane







A B

IMPROVE STREETS AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Pedestrian infrastructure includes crosswalks and pedestrian-controlled traffic signals, pedestrian and bike friendly street lighting, benches (i.e., places to rest, relax, etc.), pedestrian bridges, weather protection (e.g., awnings), etc.

A B


Pedestrian infrastructure also includes traffic calming features like traffic circles, curb bulges, raised crosswalks and narrowed streets that slow traffic speeds


Cycling infrastructure, includes bike racks, covered parking, etc.

A

B

C

A B


• Cycling infrastructure also includes signage and signals

• New rental bike programs are also helping encourage more people to ride (Montreal pictured)


Improving streets and infrastructure in Cotati, California

• Existing conditions



• Street improvements with signalized intersection, crosswalk, new street lighting, street planters and trees



• Street improvements with traffic calming roundabout and pedestrian median refuges







IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSIT

• Transit users often accumulate some or all of their needed 30-minutes of daily physical activity walking to and from transit stops

• More people will use transit if it provides convenient links to, between and through major destinations

IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSIT


• Transit that supports bicycle use can also help support and increase cycling and extend the reach of transit

• Bike friendly amenities include bus bike racks, bike storage lockers at transit stations, the ability to take bikes on board, etc.







A B

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES


• The availability of recreational facilities affects levels of physical activity

• People are more likely to meet the recommended levels of physical activity living within a 10 minute walking distance of a park, trail or other open recreational space

• Trail use decreases by almost 50% with every half-kilometer distance increase

Outline

WHAT?


WHY?


HOW?


WHO?


How Local Planning Shapes Community Environments

1. How planning works

2. Who does it

3. How it happens

How Local Planning Shapes Community Environments • Planning happens at three different scales

• Healthy built environment opportunities at each level

PLANNING AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL

Major planning projects include:

• Transportation plans – transit, roads, cycling

• Growth Management – where new development happens at the regional level

• Opportunity for input and engagement with these plans

PLANNING AT THE CITY AND TOWN LEVEL


• Official Community Plans/Town Plans – land use and zoning, establish a community‟s vision for the future

• Transportation Plans – cycling, pedestrian, local roads

• Parks and Recreation – connections, facilities, greenways


PLANNING AT THE NEIGHBOURHOOD/SITE LEVEL


• Neighbourhood Plans – land use, cycling & pedestrian connections

• Park Plans – plans for individual parks and local greenways


Planning at all levels

More “traditional” communities and holistic planning on the rise

• Smart Growth: „Healthy Community‟ land use principles

• New Urbanism: A return to “small town” mixed land uses

• Sustainability Planning: Big picture planning that recognizes the importance healthy built environments to quality of life

B CA

Taking Action in Your Community: Tips and Tools

1. GET STARTED – lay the groundwork

2. GET TO KNOW WHAT‟S GOING ON – analyze conditions

3. GET ENGAGED – informally, formally or something in between

GET STARTED

• Spread the word

• Identify & reach out to partners

• Organize a presentation

• Form a group or coalition

GET STARTED

Get to know key people to know at “The Hall”:

• Mayor and council

• Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)/City Manager

• Directors of Planning, Parks (CAO)/City Manager

• Directors of Planning, Parks and Recreation, Development Services, Engineering

• Advisory Committees

• Planning Technician

• Public Health Staff



2. GET TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON – analyze conditions


GET TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON

Are there any healthy built environment programs underway?

• Is there a long-term active, healthy community vision for the community?

• What are the opportunities for involvement in planning (e.g., in current processes, on committees, etc.)?

GET TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON

• Conduct an healthy built environment audit or assessment

• Collect local health statistics – how does your community compare?



2. GET TO KNOW WHAT‟S GOING ON – analyze conditions


GET ENGAGED

At the city or town level:

• Planning advisory committees, planning task force member, Council presentations, etc.

At the local community level:

• Shaping Active, Healthy Communities presentations

• Form a Healthy Communities group

• Write a letter

Reimaging the link between community design, physical activity and health

Progressive regional, county & municipal zoning, infrastructure investment, etc.

Higher density, mixed-use walkable communities with good transportation options, connections, etc.

Increased walking, cycling, transit use, recreation, etc.

Improved physical fitness and activity levels, reduced traffic accidents, decreased air pollution emissions, etc.

IT’S A FACT

Physical activity is one of the most significant modifiable

behaviours that can influence the likelihood of becoming

overweight or obese.

IT’S A FACTThe built environment is one of the strongest

drivers of physically active lifestyles - both where it is located and how it is built.

IT’S A FACTAwareness of the links between walkability, physical activity and health is growing and – with your help – our built environment will get healthier.

For more information, visit www.heartandstroke.ca/HealthyCommunities

Date post:	04-Mar-2016
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