The Healthy Places Coalition advances public health involvement
in land use and transportation planning to ensure that all neighborhoods in
California promote the opportunity to live a healthy life.
Opportunities for Action
Transportation Bill
Authorization for the new Transportation Bill is under way in both the House and the Senate. Previous transportation bills have funded public transit, bridge repair, congestion mitigation and air quality programs, as well as active transportation programs such as Safe Routes to School. Learn more about proposed cuts to these programs in these recent articles:
Strategic Growth Council Meeting: March 15, 2012
Meetings of the Strategic Growth are open to the public and include opportunities for public testimony. The next meeting will be held on March 15, 2012 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. in Sacramento. Keep an eye on the Strategic Growth Council webpage for an agenda and further details.
California Safe Routes to School Funding Available until March 30, 2012
California’s Department of Transportation (Caltrans) recently announced a call for Safe Routes to School projects, applications due March 30th, 2012. $45 million in funds for is available from federal and state sources. Eligible awards will include infrastructure projects, with up to 10% of costs going to non-infrastructure work; cities and counties across California can apply. Learn more and apply here.
CoolCalifornia.org Funding Wizard
This new tool from the Strategic Growth Council and other partners assists grantseekers in finding funding opportunities and incentives for sustainable project. The tool allows you to search by type of funding, size, type of project, and other options. Learn more and search the Funding Wizard here
Resources
Health Co-Benefits of Active Transportation
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has recently released a technical report on the link between reduction in vehicle transport and the associated health benefits, both as a result of improved air quality and increased physical activity. To learn more, a summary is available here and the full report available as a PDF by Neil Maizlish, PhD and colleagues from CDPH.
Population Risks of Climate Change
A new California Department of Public Health analysis of Los Angeles and Fresno counties reports that poor, urban and minority residents are most at risk for health problems linked to climate change. Read more by California Watch and the full report is available from CDPH.
Healthy Places, Healthy Regions
Public Health Law & Policy, in partnership with California Center for Public Health Advocacy, Brian Fulfrost and Associates, and the Healthy Eating Active Living Cities Campaign has released a new resource that uses measurable and quantifiable health equity metrics to identify specific healthy development opportunities to advance health and equity in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Read the full report here.
New Report: Integration of Bicycling and Walking Facilities
into the Infrastructure of Urban Communities
This new technical report from Mineta Transportation Institute features three communities in California: Davis, Palo Alto, and San Luis Obispo, that are highly acclaimed for effectively integrating alternative transportation modes into urban infrastructure. The report highlights best practices and program characteristics to provide policy, education, and outreach recommendations. Download the full report here.
New Resource: The City Project’s Green Justice blog
Robert Garcia, Founding Director of the City Project and civil rights attorney, has launched a new blog on KCET Southern California. Topics addressed will include challenges and opportunities facing green justice, including green jobs, access to parks and recreation, health disparities related to the lack of physical activity, transportation justice, and other issues at the intersection of equal justice, public health, and the built environment. Click here to read the latest posts.
Designing Healthy Communities
Dr. Richard Jackson, MD, MPH, in partnership with the Media Policy Center, has produced a 4-part PBS miniseries that looks at the impact our built environment has on public health. Dr. Jackson connects bad community design with burgeoning health costs, then analyzes and illustrates what citizens are doing about this urgent crisis by looking upstream for innovative solutions. The series and companion book are available here.
To contribute to the Healthy Places Coalition Digest e-mail Sandra Viera.
