Building a Healthier Tomorrow Brochure

8/14/2019 Building a Healthier Tomorrow Brochure

1/6

Build health into projects & plans

Making a community walkable

Success stories

Resources

Decisions made each day determine

how we plan and build King Countys

communities. Are these choices protecting

peoples health?

By engaging in transportation, land

use, and urban design projects, you can

prevent disease and promote well-being.

This brochure tells the story o King

Countys new in crowd the residents,

developers, ofcials, and designers who

are becoming health advocates.

What you can do today...

Contents:

Building a Healthier Tomorrow

LookIns

[


2/6

Decision-Makers

and Elected

Ofcials

Community

Members

Planning

Commissions and

Design Review Boards

Planners and

Designers

Health

Proessionals

Developers

Government

Agencies

School

Districts

Non-Proft

Organizations

Devote sta time to Health Impact Assessment

Encourage health as an objective in comprehensive plan and

zoning updates

Dedicate unds or active transportation inrastructure

Establish an Active Living Task Force (see Resources or more)

Request a re+walk or community assessment rom Feet First

Voice concerns about health at planning and design meetings

Get ree advocacy coaching rom Feet First on how you can

inuence new development

Learn about how the built environment inuences health

Recommend land use decisions that encourage physical activity;

include mixed uses and designs to support active transportation

Include physical activity goals in your designs and plans

Complete checklists to analyze a proposed projects or policys

eects on health, or send to Public Health or review

Learn about active transportation as a physical activity solution

Set up and participate in re+walks in conjunction with Feet First

Educate patients and colleagues on active living issues andeects o the built environment

Ask Feet First what you can do to maximize your positive impact

on community walkability with your projects

Incorporate active transportation into projects

Send SEPA/NEPA project proposals and updates to Public Health

or review

Include health objectives in projects and in comprehensive plans

Incorporate active transportation, saety, and health objectives in

school siting decisions and planning

Organize community events around health themes and goals

Help everyone collaborate to make health a priority in their work

Build health into projects & plans

What will you do today?Turnpage

forsuccess

stories


3/6

Making a Community Walkable: Step by Step

What is Active Transportation?ctive transportation is the idea o integrating physical activity into daily tasks - as by walking to school, work, or shops. This integr

akes it easier to get the recommended 30 minutes o activity, 5 days a week, 10 minutes at a time, without structured exercise.

Some community designs support healthy lifestyles, vibrant businesses, and strong social ties. Residen

of these neighborhoods are more physically active, report higher quality of life and health status, and

weigh less. To achieve broad health goals, health outcomes should be considered at every stage and lev

of development, from permit review to comprehensive planning. There are many ways to get involved in

making healthier decisions. Here are a few examples of what people are already doing, here in King Coun

Wide roads lined with parking lots push buildings away rom the

street and encourage high vehicle speeds

Dispersed development patterns and zoning codes isolate land

uses and create large distances between daily destinations

Distance, poor aesthetics, and danger discourage walking

Reducing motor vehicle lane width, adding medians and plantings,

and installing street urniture like lighting and benches all have a

calming eect on traic, improving saety or all road users

Well-marked crosswalks, bicycle lanes, and wide sidewalks with

planted buers attract walkers and cyclists

Mixed-use zoning attracts new development and promotes active

transportation by bringing various land uses closer to each other,so distances between destinations are more walkable and bikeable

Reduced setbacks, compact lots and blocks, interesting streetront

designs, and mature trees improve the pedestrian environment

How to redesign activity back into peoples lives by creating spaces where it is easy to be active

1

2

3

SteetDes

g

a

d

Use

Be

o

e

PhotosDanBurden/StevePrice

D e s i g n , l a n d u s e , a n d t r a n s p o r t a t i o n c h a n g e s c a n m a k e y o u r n e i g h b o r h o o d m o r e w a l k a b l e .

Building a Hea


4/6

Beacon Hill Plaza: Pilot HIA

The Beacon Hill community in Seattle is

proposing a pedestrian plaza and town center

adjacent to its new light rail stop. This public

space would enable sae access to shops,

services, and paratransit. The plaza will give the

community a place or armers markets, estivals,

concerts, and inormal gatherings.

Public Health and Feet First are piloting an HIA,

reviewing plans, and attending public meetings.

A fnal report will oer recommendations

or how the plaza could best promote active

transportation and social ties.

Health Impact Assessment (HIA)HIA is a way to evaluate the health eects o a policy, project, or program. HIA helps residents,advocates, developers, and oicials analyze how current and uture conditions might aect walking,bicycling, and transit use, as well as air and water quality, social cohesion, and saety.

South Park: Communityre+walkThe South Park Neighborhood Health Advocacy Group and

Concord Elementary PTA members were concerned about

dangers or children walking to school. Students wrote Mayor

Nickels about their wish or stop signs near the school where

cars requently sped. Feet First organized a re+walk with the

principal, sta, parents, and SDOT. Participants took pictures

and notes, and Feet First compiled recommendations. By the

beginning o the school year, SDOT had installed stop signs,

improved road markings, and begun monitoring speed.

Feet Firstre+walksA re+walk brings residents, employers, employees, and government stakeholders together to conducta neighborhood walking audit. Community members identiy improvements that make it easier andsaer or people on oot to access transit, shopping, community activities, and work. Even people veryamiliar with a place will see things in new ways on a re+walk.

Feet First re+walk - June 2005. Community members on awalking audit in South Park

Before: Street designed or cars

After: Street with walkable, health-supportive proposals

Tools or Healthier Communities

thier Tomorrow


5/6

Burien Town Square: Leaders and Builders Making Healthy Places

Burien leaders have sought a central public space since the Citys incorporation in 1993. On October10, 2006, residents gathered or the ground-breaking o the centerpiece o the cultural and economic

renewal o Buriens downtown. Burien Town Square will oer retail, work, and residential space nextto a new City Hall, Library, and 1.2 acres o open space. The Square will support community gatherings,walking, and economic opportunities. The project is paid or jointly by the City o Burien, the King CountyLibrary District, the developer Urban Partners, and ederal unds secured by Senator Patty Murray andellow members o Congress.

Attending Design Review Meetings:Residents Can Guide Design Choices

Design review meetings are great places to help create betterpublic places. Community members can encourage developmentprojects to include new eatures. During the comment period,anyone can ask questions and comment on sidewalks, buildingorientation and entrances, access to bus stops, stairs, and otheramenities.

Public Health & Planning Staff:Land Use Proposal Health Review

Public Health is connecting with planningsta in cities across King County to reviewpotential health eects o new projects. Seattlrequires that Public Health review all MasterUse Permits. Public Health has also reachedout to other agencies, asking or voluntary

project submission or review. Despite heavyworkloads, the Port o Seattle, Shoreline, andKenmore already send updates addressingissues including landill gas, contaminated soiand walking access.

Budgets: Funding Active TransportationSeattle, Olympia, and Shoreline haveeach recently voted to dedicate new local

unds to active transportation projects.

Seattle Mayor Nickels joins Asa Mercer Middle School students at theground-breaking ceremony for a new 2005 sidewalk program. This

sidewalk was recommended after a Feet First re+walk.

Youth testify on behalf of Safe Routes to Schoolat a 2006 City Council meeting

What You Can Do as a Community Member

Leaders as Health Advocates

n King County


6/6

A concise reerence or Health Impact Assessment -www.eetfrst.ino/hia (sign up here for the HIA-USA listser

The Land Use, Transportation, Air Quality, & Health project - www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/tp/ORTP/LUTAQH

Washingtons Active Community Environments project -www.aces-wa.org (learn about Active Living Task Force

Public Health in Land Use Planning & Community Design act sheet -searchwww.naccho.org

Environmental Justice Checklist - linked fromwww.wsdot.wa.gov/environment/envJustice/

The Promoting Healthy Built Environments projectThe Promoting Healthy Built Environments project (www.eetfrst.ino/phbe) is a

collaboration between the Environmental Health Division o Public Health-Seattle & King

County and the non-proft organization Feet First. The project is made possible by a grant

rom Steps to Health a ederally-unded program led by community partners and Public

Health-Seattle & King County. Steps ocuses on preventing and controlling asthma,

diabetes, and obesity. The PHBE project identifes environmental, policy, and

institutional changes that support this program.

Please contact us with your questions or to request training or assistance.

About Environmental Health:The Environmental Health Division educates and inorms public

customers and clients about healthy environmental practices and

enorces state and local regulations to saeguard the health o all

residents in King County.

www.metrokc.gov/health/env_hlth

About Feet First:Feet First is a hub o creative, passionate people who can help yourcommunity in big ways. We build walkable communities by using an

eective combination o outreach, advocacy, research, and education.

As a 501(c)(3) non-proit membership organization, Feet Firsts

programs help citizens, proessionals, business leaders, and oicials.

2019 Third Avenue, Suite 110, Seattle, WA 98121e-mail: [email protected]: 206.652.2310

www.eetfrst.ino

www.metrokc.gov/health/steps

Additional Resources

Documents

Building a Healthier Tomorrow Brochure