moving forward - Policy InitiativesPolicy Initiative No. 1Improve Built Environmentsto Promote Physical Activityin CommunitiesToday’s studentslive further fromtheir schoolsthan the youthof 30 years ago.The charts atright illustratethe increase inthe distanceto schoolfor childrenbetween theages of 5 and 18.THE CHALLENGEThere is growing recognition that the built environment—theman-made physical structures and infrastructure of communities—impacts health. Decisions about zoning, transportation, land use,and community design influence the distances people travel to work,the convenience of purchasing healthy foods, and the safety andattractiveness of neighborhoods for walking.Traditionally, the decisions dealing with the built environment havebeen made without the consideration of public health, but over the pastdecade, states and communities have emphasized the importance ofmaking design decisions in the context of the overall community. Statesand local communities are taking action—using zoning rules, requiringsidewalks in new developments, providing capital funding, and improvingtransportation and land use policies—to try to increase walking and bikingopportunities and make these activities more accessible and safe.One may expect more physical activity and healthier diets among personsin communities with convenient, safe walking paths and accessible sourcesof fresh fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, indicators of poorer health,such as obesity, may be expected among residents of communities with highcrime rates, few parks or walking paths, and little access to fresh food.When focusing on children, research shows that being outdoors isstrongly related to the level of children’s physical activity. Studies havefound that children who walk to school are more physically active thanthose who travel to school by car. However, active commuting rates in theU.S. have dropped significantly and currently range from only 5 to 14percent. The lack of sidewalks and bike trails, long distances to schools,and the need to cross busy streets with fast-moving traffic create barriersto active commuting to school.33%< 1 mileIncrease in the distance to schoolfor children between the ages of 5 and 18.1969 200134%50%21%15% 18%15%1.0-1.9 miles2.0-2.9 miles14%3+ milesNATIONAL SUCCESSTwo studies in California haveshown promising results relatedto physical activity and the builtenvironment. An evaluation ofthe Marin County, California,Safe Routes to Schools programthat combined promotionalactivities with built environmentchanges (more sidewalks andimproved street crossings) founda 64 percent increase in walkingand a 114 percent increase incycling to school. Additionally,an evaluation of statewideinvestments in sidewalks,crosswalks, and bike lanes in10 California schools foundthat 15 percent of parentsof children who passed theimprovements on their way toschool reported their childrenwalked or cycled more.<strong>MISSISSIPPI</strong>’S SUCCESSChildren walking to andfrom several Meridian publicschools will have a safer andmore enjoyable walk, thanks toa sidewalk installation programapproved by the MississippiDepartment of Transportation.The Mississippi TransportationCommission has approvedthe city’s request for nearly$740,000 in federal Safe Routesto Schools funds for the project,which will include sidewalksaround Carver Junior HighSchool, Harris ElementarySchool’s two campuses, and18
A project funded by the POWER initiativeOakland Heights Elementary.New sidewalks will also linkCarver and Harris to the Boysand Girls Club, which manyof the students attend afterschool. The project includesalmost four miles of sidewalks,funding for police officers toserve as crossing guards, and aneducational program throughthe schools to teach studentsabout pedestrian safety.lake in a beautiful woodlandsetting. The path is used bywalkers, joggers, and runners.To further enhance the outdoorexperience, the city is currentlyimplementing a $45,000Wildlife, Fisheries and Parksgrant to install unified trailsignage throughoutBonita Lakes Park.Meridian, Mississippi’s,3,300-acre Bonita Lakes is oneof the largest urban parks in thenation, offering residents andvisitors a myriad of recreationalopportunities just minutes fromanywhere in town. To encouragemore people—young andold—to participate in physicalactivities, the City of Meridianworked with Blue Cross BlueShield of Mississippi to installtwo children’s playgrounds anda series of adult fitness stationsin the park. The two children’splaygrounds, one located behinda picnic pavilion and the othernestled beside the smallerof the park’s lakes, are gearedto fit the skill levels of differentages of children. One is designedfor two- to five-year-oldsand the other is for fivetotwelve-year-olds. The fiveadult exercise equipmentstations are scattered alongthe five-mile path thatmeanders around the large13%of students walked or biked toschool in 2001. That number issignificantly lower than the42 percent of students whowalked or biked to school in 1969.19
Change language