Partnerships in Creating Active Communities

1. Partnerships in Creating Active Communities Public Health: Karen Petersmarck Environmental Organization: Brian Fellows Rails to Trails: Nancy Krupiarz

2. Our Goals for You Today: You will leave here with • Ideas for “unlikely partners” to help you create active communities. • Understanding of “what’s in it for them.” • Knowledge of three entry points into “the establishment.”

3. Public Health MISSION: MDCH strives for a healthier Michigan. To that end, the department will: • Take steps to prevent disease, promote wellness and improve quality of life.

4. Local Public Health • Every county belongs to a local health department. • Local public health has the same mission.

5. What’s In It For Us? • It’s our job to make it easier for people to be healthy! • We are mandated to work on “active communities.” • We didn’t learn how to do it in school!

6. Increasing Physical Activity: Education is good, but it won’t get people moving if exercise is inconvenient or dangerous.

7. Public Health: Entry Point #1 OBESITY

8. ? OBESITY How’s this related to urban planning VS. Sprawl Smart Growth “Those living in sprawling counties were likely to walk less, weigh more, and have greater prevalence of hypertension than those living in compact communities” -Reid Ewing et al. American Journal of Health Promotion “There is a connection between the fact that the urban sprawl we live with daily makes no room for sidewalks or bike paths and the fact that we are an overweight, heart disease-ridden society” -Richard Jackson, MD, MPH. Planning and Zoning News

9. OBESITY Can Be Affected By Planning Decisions Access to Healthy Food Utilitarian Activity Physical Activity Obesity Nutritious Diet Recreation Activity

10. OBESITY Planning for Utilitarian Physical Activity Create Transportation Choices To encourage physical activity as part of daily routines, urban areas should be designed to allow for alternatives to automobile use. • Walking • Biking • Transit

11. OBESITY Planning for Utilitarian Physical Activity Walking • Sidewalks • Crosswalks • Bulb outs Tools to make walking a safe and dignified transportation option

12. OBESITY Planning for Utilitarian Physical Activity Bicycling • Designated bike lanes • Commuter trails • More bicycle parking

13. OBESITY Planning for Utilitarian Physical Activity Transit Public transportation supplements active transportation because people need to walk to and from transit stops • More comprehensive and reliable service

14. OBESITY Planning for Recreational Exercise Destinations & Linkages In order for active recreation to be enjoyable, people need safe places to run, walk, bike, play ball, etc and these places should be interconnected. East Riverfront Plan • Parks • Trails • Greenways • River access Hart Plaza

15. OBESITY Planning for Recreational Exercise Trails 55% trail users report increased activity levels resulting from the existence of a trail in their area Even the previously inactive find trails attractive and use them

16. Obesity prevention

17. A “syn-solution”  Depression  Air pollution  CO2 emissions Physical activity And by the way…  Infrastructure costs  Social capital

18. How Can You Become an Advisor for Obesity? State Level: • Health Department: • Find obesity or physical activity. • Help develop the State Plan. • Include in the State Plan programs you can contribute. • Dept. Education: • Find Physical Education • Safe routes to school • Connecting trails to schools • Bike safety programs

19. Local Level Local Health Department: Find coalitions or advisory groups: Non-motorized transportation “Healthy Washtenaw” Help with assessments Help create plans School District: Safe routes to school Bike safety How Can You Become an Advisor for Obesity?

20. Public Health: Entry Point #2 INJURY CONTROL

21. Dekalb Neighbor, July 4, 2001

22. How You Can Become an Advisor for Injury Prevention • Get data on biking and walking injuries and deaths in your state or area. • Amazingly, this may be hard to find! • Some states collect this with surveillance of hospital emergency departments. • Try National Center for Walking and Bicycling

23. How You Can Become an Advisor for Injury Prevention 2. Find the person in charge of injury at the state health department. 3. Ask about existing programs for bike and ped injuries. 4. Ask about a state plan for injury control. 5. Offer to help.

24. Public Health: Entry Point #3 HEALTHY AGING

25. “Senior-Friendly Communities” • By 2030, 20% of us will be age 65+. • State governments are scared about health care costs. • Prevention is finally seen as important. • Making it easy to be physically active is critical. • You can help. • Senior volunteers can help you.

26. How You Can Become an Advisor for “Healthier Aging” • Data: • Lack of physical activity • Disproportionate pedestrian deaths and injuries among elderly • Find the State Unit on Aging. • Ask about existing programs for physical activity, injury prevention, older drivers. • Ask to see state plan. • See where you could fit.

27. Public Health Entry Points Multiple State Plans • Cardiovascular Disease • Injuries • Obesity • Osteoporosis • Cancer prevention • Arthritis • Diabetes • Physical Activity

28. Most decisions are made by those who… show up!

29. Moving from “Outsider” to “Insider” Tactics Review: • Identify their priorities • Pursue win-win projects • “Carry the water” for their project or priority • Say “yes” to work groups - Lucinda Means League of Michigan Bicyclists

30. How A Non-Profit Organization Can Drive Bike/Ped Policy(And Partnerships) River Action, Inc. Davenport, Iowa

31. An Introduction ToThe Quad Cities • 180 miles due west of Chicago • 5-city area ~ 350,000 population • Iowa – Bettendorf, Davenport • Illinois – Rock Island, Moline, East Moline • Farm economy, former hub for agricultural equipment manufacture • Illinois QCs – 60+ miles of riverfront trail • Iowa QCs – 7 miles of riverfront trail, additional 10 miles inland • American Discovery Trail • Mississippi River Trail • 2006 National Trails Symposium, Davenport, Iowa Photo: Ken Larvenz

32. River Action - Background • Mission: To advocate for public access to - and the overall health of - the Mississippi River • Founded in 1983 as “Lights, River, Action” in order to raise approx. $300,000 for installing lights on the Centennial Bridge • Board of Directors – represents many segments of society and political preference including medicine, education, business, industry, utilities, nursing, and retired individuals Photo: Brian Fellows

33. Local governments in 12 communities 2 states (IA, IL) 2 counties (Scott, Rock) 50 miles of shore Davenport, IAMoline, IL Bettendorf, IACordova, IL Buffalo, IAHampton, IL East Moline, IL Princeton, IARapids City, IL LeClaire, IAPort Byron, IL Rock Island, IL River Action’s Territory and Working Relationships

34. River Action – Focus Areas - Stormwater runoff reduction, native plants, thoughtful urban riverfront development, design guidelines - River conservation, environmental education - Riverfront development, public access, walkability, multi-use trails, activities to draw people back to the river Photo: Brian Fellows

35. River Action’s Bike/Ped Projects • Ride The River bike ride • Public art • Senior Golf Cart Tour • Walk To The River • Mississippi River Connections Walking Guide Drawing: The Lakota Group

36. River Action’s Bike/Ped Projects • 20th Street Overlook • Great River Trail (IL) • Mississippi River Trail (IA) • Channel Cat water taxi • River Vision riverfront planning process Photo: Brian Fellows

37. Volunteer Network • Interested citizens • Neighborhood assocs. • Civic groups • Retirees • Environmental orgs • Corporate • School/PTAs • ‘Boot camps’ Photo: Brian Fellows

38. Local Government’s (MPO) Role • Coordinate commun-ication between members • Nurture partnerships • Grantwriting assistance • Identify multijurisdic-tional opportunities

39. Some Unlikely Partnerships • Nahant Marsh (farmers, landowners) • Pervious parking lot (Army Corps of Engineers) • Sylvan Island (Hispanic neighborhood assoc.) • Lindsay Park (Demolition contractor) Photo: Brian Fellows

40. Some Unlikely Partnerships • American Discovery Trail (Army Corps, casino boats) • Mississippi River Connections Walking Guide (Trinity Regional Health System; McDonald’s restaurants – don’t say “eeeuu!”) Photo: Brian Fellows

41. Some Unlikely Partnerships • Arsenal Island RiverWay art • Native Americans involved; Black Hawk relative blessed the site • Public involved in site selection and artist designs Photo: Brian Fellows

42. Some Unlikely Partnerships • Credit Island RiverWay art • Goal: create new node • Former residents • Felled trees hauled • Chainsaw-sculpted • High school students taught pointillism • Sondheim musical during dedication Photo: Brian Fellows

43. Keys To Success – The Four M’sPhase 1: Building the foundation • Manpower (partnerships) • Money (cash AND in-kind) • Municipalities (buy-in) • Media (exposure)

44. Keys To Success – The Four I’sPhase 2: Day-to-day operations • Inclusion (public) • Involvement (partners) • Ingenuity (synergy) • Immediacy (deadlines)

46. River Action, Inc.

47. Unlikely Partnerships in Creating Bikeable/Walkable Communities PRO BIKE PRO WALK September, 2004 Michigan Field Office

48. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) • RTC is a national organization with 6 Field Offices (MI, CA, FL, PA, OH and New England • Purpose: to enrich America's communities and countryside by creating a nationwide network of public trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors. • 13,000 miles in US; Michigan: 2nd in nation, 1,329 miles • We provide technical assistance on trail building, educate the public and promote trail building policy at all levels of government

49. On the state level, trails have played a part in: Cool Cities Initiative Safe Routes to School Transportation Summit TRAILS Land Use Transportation Health Healthy CommunitiesNetwork MI Steps Up Michigan Cardiovascular Health Task Force Designing Healthy Livable Communities Conference MI Land Use Leadership Council

50. The Key is . . . • Show you deserve a place at the Table through --relationship building --initiate action to help • Show up and contribute (whether it’s directly related to your topic or not --general expertise and leadership is helpful too) • Keep in contact and look for your entry