Active Living Improves Physical, Economic and Environmental Health
Studies and best practices promoted at the National Center for Bicycling and Walking 2009 Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference illustrated that communities want to be healthy and that good planning helps citizens lead a more healthy lifestyle. But it can go much further that that. Transportation planning that includes the pedestrian is good for individual, environmental, and economic health.
Feet First
Rebecca Deehr, a pedestrian advocate with Seattle’s Feet First organization, believes that pedestrian advocacy is really health advocacy. As a recent college graduate, she feels that a focus on health and the economy is a more effective and twenty-first century approach to addressing the problem of climate change than is a 1970s environmentally-oriented approach.
Through the Feet First organization, she speaks to a diverse audience about healthy living. A healthier environment is a result of the choice to walk more, which she believes more people will do in order to improve their health. Walkability is also a big plus to a community that wants to attract more residents and better quality businesses. The economic future will be brighter when more people get walking.
Active Living Advocacy
To promote an active lifestyle, Rebecca feels that advocacy messages must be fun and engaging. Feet First invites people to get involved and as they do, the organization builds a grassroots network that encourages political and business leaders to make changes in the status quo. In fact, as people become more active, they demand changes in their infrastructure to make pedestrian travel safe and enjoyable.
A fun activity that she has used to engage citizens is the Feet First Chicken. Walkers are invited to help the chicken get to the other side of the road. In doing this, she illustrates safe and unsafe practices and intrastructure. The chicken links active living to the built environment. People become engaged in the process and begin to speak out about sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, pedestrian crossing countdown timers, and other such matters of infrastructure.
Walkable Communities
The benefits of walkable communities extend to public health and beyond. In Decatur, Georgia, planners are seeing reduced traffic congestion and businesses benefiting from pedestrian activity. In Shoreline, Washington, businesses enjoy a more aesthetically pleasing view that, while it attracts customers, also provides space for additional rain garden plantings and art.
Coalitions and Partnerships
The vast majority of today’s community leaders (Sarah Palin aside!) believe that climate change is the great challenge of our time and that human activity … or inactivity? … is the root cause. Getting out of our cars to walk will cut down on emissions. Getting out of our cars to walk will also improve our health. Building infrastructure that increases non-motorized transportation will get more and more people walking and breathing fresh air. Making walking attractive by using landscaping and art improves psychological wellbeing. Towns that are more walkable and healthier are more attractive to new residents and businesses, boosting economic development.
It is easy to see the many parts that can be linked to engage a community and move many people toward well-rounded health physical and environmental health. Using our feet first, we can drive change and, in turn, change the air and society of our communities.