Plan-it sustainably - Northern California Section

The display of calling cards from firmsoffering professional services appears inevery issue of Northern News. Fees paidby the firms for this service help defraythe costs of this newsletter.Lessons learned from LEED to lean (continued from page 1)The same logic holds true for reviewing policies that affectcommunity planning projects. For example, we can promote wellnessby replacing older rules that foster traditional Euclidean Zoningpractices with mixed-use models that promote pedestrian modality asa form of connectivity. Studies show that walking trips to commercialareas are more frequent in neighborhoods with nearby stores andgrid-like street networks. 4 The evidence is becoming increasinglyclearer that urban form plays a role in the amount of physicalactivity in which we engage, and the link between reduced physicalactivity and chronic disease and conditions is largely undisputable 5 .Reviewing building plans to ensure that new and renovated buildingspromote healthy living can also be a means to removing barriersto promoting mobility and wellness. We can do simple things such asrequiring bicycle parking for employees and patrons; making stairsenjoyable, and giving them precedence over elevators or escalators;and siting outdoor spaces that promote modality and exploration oversitting in meetings or at computers. In 2010, the American Instituteof Architects partnered with the city of New York to create “ActiveDesign Guidelines” that promote healthy living in buildings, alongstreets, and in urban spaces. 6To promote healthy policies and remove the obstacles that keep usfrom implementing wellbeing in our planning practice, we can start bypartnering with experts who specialize in working with cities to targetharmful — and promote helpful — policies. Organizations such asChangeLab Solutions, Health Impact Partners, and GenerationsCommunity Wellness are but a few that specialize in doing just that.We also can look to large granting organizations such as the PewFamily Trusts, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and theCalifornia Endowment. They have allocated millions of dollars forcompetitive grants to study the effects of this epidemic and institutecreative solutions.The problem is evident, the solutions are available, the experts arewaiting, and the funding is plentiful. The only thing left to do is start.Peter Pirnejad is development services director for the City of Palo Alto.You can reach him at Peter.pirnejad@cityofpaloalto.org4 Handy, SL, Understanding the link between urban form and nonwork travel behavior,Journal of Planning Education and Research, April 1996: vol. 15 no. 3:183-198.http://bit.ly/SWLDoX5 Ewing, Reid, Tom Schmid, Richard Killingsworth, Amy Zlot, and Stephen Raudenbush,“Relationship Between Urban Sprawl and Physical Activity, Obesity, and Morbidity,”American Journal of Health Promotion, 2003, Sept/Oct, Vol. 18, No. 1: 47-57.http://bit.ly/RM0xiF6 New York City Dept. of Design and Construction, http://on.nyc.gov/SWLIZR n“Too many people see compromise as a bad thing, an abandonment of principle. In reality, a willingness tocompromise is a sign of great conviction: the conviction that the organization comes first. As easy as thatsounds, it is remarkably hard to adopt.” —John Baldoni, HBR Blog Network. http://bit.ly/TkuAOsNorthern News 4 November 2012