Kim Irwin, MPH

Executive DirectorAlliance for Health Promotion

April 27, 2012Annual Meeting

Indiana Cancer Consortium

Promoting Complete Streets for Healthy Communities

The Health by Design Coalition

More than 500 members representing 200+ orgs

Non-profits academia private industries and businesses environmental groups

Planners, designers, architects, and builders transportation officials public health and environmental

professionals recreation and safety personnel concerned citizens

YOU?

Our focus:

How the built environment

(neighborhoods, communities,transportation systems,

buildings, regions,parks, and open spaces)

impacts public health.

Active Living

A way of life that integrates physical activity into daily routines

“When communities organize themselves around the automobile

as the primary mode of transportation, they effectively engineer physical activity

right out of the equation.”Neil Caudle

What do these reports all recommend?

White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report and Action Plan (2010)

APHA’s The Hidden Health Costs of Transportation (2010)

CDC’s Transportation Recommendations (2010) National Physical Activity Plan (2010) Institutes of Medicine’s Local Government

Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity (2009)

Complete Streets for Healthy Living

Complete Streets are designed and operated so that they

are safe, comfortable, and convenient for all users-

pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and motorists of

all ages and abilities.

Complete Streets Policies Create a new vision

Institutionalize Planning and Decision-making

Result in a safer, healthier built environment

Indiana Cancer Control Plan 2010-2014

The Plan includes strategies – like Complete Streets – that support active living communities for adults and children

Comprehensive Cancer Control Policy Technical Assistance Agenda

Increase the percentage of Indiana residents who work in a smoke-free workplace

Increase the Indiana cigarette excise tax

Increase the number of Complete Streets policies at the local level

Amend legislation to require elementary schools to incorporate 30 of the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity

Indiana’s Comprehensive Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan, 2010-2020

The IHWI and ISDH released the State Obesity Plan in January 2011.

The Plan outlines a plan of action for different settings to address obesity in Indiana, including Complete Streets.

Why Do We Need Complete Streets?

Why do we need complete streets?

Obesity is lower in places where people use bikes, public transit, and their feet (Pucher, 2009).

States with the lowest levels of walking and biking have on avg. the highest levels of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

The CDC recently named the adoption of CS policies as a recommended strategy to prevent obesity (2009).

Complete Streets & Public Health

Streets Are Inadequate

TOO DANGEROUS TO CROSS ON FOOT

Streets Are Inadequate

UNINVITING FOR BUS RIDERS

Streets Are Inadequate

NO SIDEWALKS

Why do we need complete streets?

Americans WANT to walk and bicycle more . Recent opinion polls found that 52% of

Americans want to bicycle more, and 55% would prefer to drive less and walk more.

Streets Are Inadequate

TOO NARROW TO SHARE WITH BIKES

Streets Are Inadequate

INACCESSIBLE FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS

Negative Health Impact of INCOMPLETE Streets

One study found that, on a daily basis, each additional hour spent driving is associated with a 6% increase in the likelihood of obesity.

Each additional kilometer walked is associated with a 5% reduction in this likelihood.

Streets Are Inadequate

NO ROOM FOR BIKES OR PEDESTRIANS

Streets Are Inadequate

NO ROOM FOR PEOPLE

Key MessageNational Walking Survey - 2011

The second most cited reason for not walking was neighborhood-related barriers, such as not enough sidewalks or being wary of speeding traffic.

Neighborhoods that are more walkable are home to a greater number of frequent walkers.

Incomplete Streets Are Unsafe

Alliance for Biking & Walking 2010 Benchmarking Report

Complete Streets Policies

330+ jurisdictions nationally have a stated commitment to complete streets

Policy Types– Public: legislation, ordinances, resolutions, executive orders – Internal: policies, plans, manuals

Policy Levels– Local, MPO, State, Federal

Who has Complete Street Policies in Indiana?

Northwest Indiana MPO Bloomington MPO Madison County MPO Columbus, Indiana Evansville MPO

Complete Streets policies

now cover 20% of Indiana’s

population.

The Best Complete Streets Policies

Apply to all phases of all projects

Feature direct use of the latest and best design standards

Allow flexibility in balancing user needs

Specify any exceptions and require high-level approval of them

Design Elements

All users must be able to safely move along and across a complete street.

Each complete street is unique.

Complete streets are appropriate in all communities, regardless of size or setting.

Changing policy so that our transportation system routinely includes the needs of people on foot, wheelchairs, public transportation, and bicycles means that walking, riding bikes, and riding buses and trains will be safer and easier.

People of all ages and abilities will have more options when traveling to work, to school, to the grocery store, and to visit family.

Why Policy Change is important:

LargestImpact

SmallestImpact

One-on-one & Small group education, health

fairs

Provider Brief intervention

Poverty, housing, education

PHS Guidelines

POLICY

Socioeconomic Factors

Changing the Contextto make individuals’ default

decisions healthy

Long-lasting Protective

Interventions

ClinicalInterventions

Counseling & Education

Complete Streets = Livable Communities

Complete streets make fiscal & economic sense

Complete streets improve safety Complete streets encourage physical activity Complete streets ease transportation woes Complete streets benefit children Complete streets are good for air quality

So What Can You Do?

Learn and get involved in the process

Participate in an advocacy group

Examine the environment and policies in

your community

Invite others to get involved

Take action!

Media Advocacy: Shape the Story

Translate the individual problem to a community issue

Assign primary

responsibility

Present a solution

VS…

Media Advocacy: Shape the Story

Media Advocacy: Shape the Story

SHAPE the Story

Find the authentic voices:

The elderly, bikers, walkers, school-aged children, those without cars, visually impaired, pedestrians/bikers injured in car crashes, etc…

Questions and Next Steps

What are your next steps to help promote Complete Streets in your community?

Who can be your partners?

What assistance do you need?

Contact information:

Health by Design401 W. Michigan Street

Indianapolis, IN 46202-3233

317.352.3844

info@healthbydesignonline.org www.healthbydesignonline.org

an Alliance for Health Promotion initiative