Making the
Case for Sticky
Community
Design
_
Active Communities
Action Institute
Bozeman, MT
March 2015
A delightfully wet ride in
Great Falls.
www.markfenton.com
www.markfenton.com
The common challenges:
• Isn’t health a result of personal
decisions & habits?
• If we build it, will they come?
(People are basically lazy . . .)
• Shouldn’t the free market
dictate how we build our cities
& towns?
• So, what is your prescription
for healthy design (& how do
we get there)?
Walking home
from school.
www.markfenton.com
Youthful
recollections
www.markfenton.com
Changes in Walking & Cycling to School,
1969 to 2001
Ham et.al., Jour. of Physical Activity & Health, 2008, 5, 205-215
% of students age 5-18
50
40
30
Car
Bus
W/B
20
W/B = Walk/Bike
10
0
1969
2001
www.markfenton.com
Trends in
Childhood
Obesity &
Overweight
CDC, National Center for Health Statistics. National Health Examination
Surveys (NHANES) II (ages 6–11) and III (ages 12–17), and NHANES I, II
and III, and 1999–2006.
www.rwjf.org/files/publications/annual/2008/year-in-review/
www.markfenton.com
The real
risk kids
face . . .
30-Nov-2009
freerangekids.org
Diabetes Prevention Program
(DPP; New.Eng.J.Med., Feb. 7, 2002)
Control:
counseling
+ placebo
Lifestyle:
nutrition +
150 min. PA
Drug:
counseling +
Metformin
Compared three
treatments for
nationwide cohort
(3,000+) at risk for
Type II diabetes
(elevated fasting
glucose).
www.markfenton.com
Diabetes Risk Reduction
(Diabetes Prevention Program; NEJM, Feb. 2002)
% Reduction of Risk
100%
80%
Risk Reduction
0.58
60%
40%
0.31
20%
0%
Metformin
Lifestyle
Relative to Control Group (standard intervention)
www.markfenton.com
The Rant:
Change our thinking. It’s not
just an obesity epidemic. It’s
twin epidemics of physical
inactivity and poor nutrition.*
* Two of the three biggest drivers of
skyrocketing healthcare costs.
www.markfenton.com
The bad news in just three numbers:
30 minutes of daily physical activity
recommended (60 min for youth).
< 20 % of American adults actually meet
these recommendation (thru LTPA).
365,000 Estimated annual deaths in
America due to physical inactivity &
poor nutrition. (2nd only to tobacco.)
www.markfenton.com
Surgeon General’s Report 1996
Physical Activity Guidelines 2008
www.health.gov/paguidelines
• 150 minutes/week of moderate
•
•
•
•
physical activity; more is better.
Any activity is better than none.
Can be broken up.
300 min/week for children.
Reduced risk for CVD, diabetes,
osteoporosis, obesity, dementia
in old age, clinical depression, a
growing list of cancers . . .
This counts!
(Billings)
www.markfenton.com
Leisure Time Physical Activity in the US
(MMWR: 50(09), 166-9; 54(39), 991-4)
Inactive
% of US Population
50
Sufficiently Active
40
30
20
10
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
www.markfenton.com
But in the end . . .
It’s a matter of personal
choice, isn’t it?
www.markfenton.com
Exercise Participation
Exercise (min/week)
Effect of Short Bouts, Home Treadmills
(Jakicic et.al., J. Amer. Med. Assoc., 282, 16)
240
?
180
LB
SB
SBT
120
60
0
6
12
months
18
www.markfenton.com
Exercise Participation
Exercise (min/week)
Effect of Short Bouts, Home Treadmills
(Jakicic et.al., J. Amer. Med. Assoc., 282, 16)
240
180
LB
SB
SBT
120
60
0
6
12
months
18
www.markfenton.com
A realization:
Simply teaching people to
“exercise” is not enough. We
need to support increases in
routine, daily physical
activity for everyone.
www.markfenton.com
Social Ecology
Model
Sallis & Owen,
Physical
Activity &
Behavioral
Medicine.
Individual
motivation, skills
Determinants
of behavior
change
Interpersonal - family,
friends, colleagues
Institutional - school, work,
health care & service providers
Community - networks, facilities
Public Policy - laws, ordinances,
permitting practices & procedures
www.markfenton.com
Easier to
Implement
Individual
motivation, skills
Greater
Impact
Interpersonal - family,
friends, colleagues
Institutional - school, work,
health care & service providers
Community - networks, facilities
Public Policy - laws, ordinances,
permitting practices & procedures
www.markfenton.com
Socio-ecological successes?
Tobacco
use
Seatbelts,
child safety
restraints
Water-borne disease
Haiti
Recycling
www.markfenton.com
Thanks to Prof. Ross Brownson, Wash. Univ., St. Louis
www.markfenton.com
Necessary and
important,
but not enough. >
Helena
< We must build
communities
where people are
intrinsically
more active.
www.markfenton.com
The “healthy” trip decision hierarchy*:
Walk
*Nearly 25% of all
trips are one mile
or less; roughly
40% are two
miles or less!
Bike
(Nat’l Household
Transportation Survey)
Transit
Drive
www.markfenton.com
If we build it, will
they come?
www.markfenton.com
YES! Four elements:
1. Varied destinations within
walk, bike, & transit distance.
2. Connecting facilities: trails,
sidewalks, bike lanes, transit.
3. Designs are functional &
inviting for pedestrians,
bicyclists, & transit users.
4. Safe & accessible for all
ages, incomes, abilities
Denton TX
Elizabethtown
Harlowton
www.thecommunityguide.org
CDC Guide to Community Preventive Services
www.markfenton.com
In planner language:
Roundup
• Mix of land uses;
varied destinations.
• Network of bicycle,
pedestrian, & transit
facilities.
• Functional site
designs & details.
• Universal safety &
access.
www.markfenton.com
1. Land use.
Live, work, shop, play, learn, pray.
Compact neighborhoods,
. . . shared open space.
Schools, shopping, health care . . .
Mixed
use,
multifamily.
Civic anchors
in proximity.
www.markfenton.com
2. Network of facilities:
• Presence of sidewalks,
paths, bicycle lanes.
• Shorter blocks, more
intersections.
• Access to trail, park,
greenway, transit.
www.markfenton.com
Transit riders are physically active.
Besser, Dannenberg, Amer. J. Prev. Med., 29 (4), Nov. 2005.
Just during the daily walk to transit:
• Half of transit riders
walk at least 19 mins.
• 29% get at least 30
mins. of activity.
• Minorities, poor
(income <$15k/yr.),
denser urban dwellers
more likely to get 30+
mins./day.
Appleton WI
www.markfenton.com
Bicycle
network
options:
Sharrow
Shoulders
Bike lanes
www.markfenton.com
Bike lane
American River Trail
Sacramento, CA
Protected bike lane
www.markfenton.com
3. Site
Design:
Bemidji
Billings
Which setting is
more inviting for
travel on foot or
by bicycle?
www.markfenton.com
3. Site
Design:
Bemidji
Lewistown
Which setting is
more inviting for
travel on foot or
by bicycle?
www.markfenton.com
Site design
Portland,
Billings OR
Research &
practice suggest:
• Buildings near the sidewalk,
not set back; parking on
street or behind.
• Trees, benches, lighting,
awnings, “human” scale.
• Details: bike parking, open
space, plants, art, materials.
www.markfenton.com
Possible incentives:
• Decrease, share parking
(include bike racks).
• Build-to lines.
• Mixed-use, multi-story, w/
residential density bonus.
• Expedite permits.
Appleton WI
Neenah WI
You must support
elected & appointed
officials if you
expect them to act!
Donald Shoup,
The High Price of
Free Parking
www.markfenton.com
4. Safety & access. • Engineering can markedly
Median
islands
improve safety.
• Increasing pedestrian and
bike trips decreases overall
accident & fatality rates.
Roundabout
Curb extensions
(Jacobsen P, Injury Prevention, 2003; 9:205-209.)
www.markfenton.com
Lane re-alignments
• 5 or 4 lanes reduced
to 3, “road diets.”
Urbana, IL; before & after.
• Reduces collisions &
severity.
• Improves performance
for pedestrians, bikes.
www.markfenton.com
E.g. Shelby Main Street - bike lanes?
Parking 9’; Bike Lane 6’; Travel Lane 13’
Total = ~ 56’
www.markfenton.com
Billings
Could 1st Ave. S. go on a diet?
www.markfenton.com
Hutchinson,
KS.
E. Avenue A;
other fourlane roads.
www.markfenton.com
E. Avenue A, Hutchinson, KS – they did it!
www.markfenton.com
Diagonal
parking
increases
on-street
capacity,
but . . .
Des Moines, IA
Reverse angle:
• Fewer, less
severe collisions.
• Safer for bikes
& pedestrians.
• Slows traffic.
www.markfenton.com
Four Elements of Healthy Community Design:
Ped, bike,
& transit
network
Mix of
destinations
Safety &
access
Site design
www.activelivingresearch.org
www.markfenton.com
Shouldn’t the free market
dictate how we build our
cities & towns?
www.markfenton.com
Economics. Walking the Walk:
How Walkability Raises Housing Values in
U.S. Cities (CEOs for Cities report)*
walkscore = 12
walkscore = 72
Higher score = $4,000-$34,000 home value
*www.ceosforcities.org/work/walkingthewalk
www.walkscore.com
www.markfenton.com
On Common Ground
Nat’l Assoc. of Realtors pub.; Summer 2010
www.realtor.org
The Next Generation of
Home Buyers:
• Taste for urban living.
• Appetite for public
transportation.
• Strong green streak.
• Plus, Americans are
driving less overall!
www.markfenton.com
Study of street
redesigns in NYC:
• Pre- and post-project
measurement of retail
revenue.
• E.g. pedestrian plazas,
bike paths, redesigned
intersections, BRT . . .
• Improvement areas
exceeded borough &
control area averages.
nyc.gov/dot
www.markfenton.com
www.markfenton.com
Benefits of protected
bike facilities
BikeWalkAlliance.org
GreenLaneProject.org
• Support real estate
values.
• Recruiting & retaining
skilled employees.
• Healthier, more
productive workers.
• Increased retail revenue.
www.markfenton.com
Smart Growth & Economic Success
www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/economic_success.htm
Dec. 2012
Benefits to developers,
realtors, investors, local
governments:
• Less infrastructure in
compact development.
• Walkability premium.
• Flexibility & choice.
www.markfenton.com
www.markfenton.com
Smart Growth: The Business Case
www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/economic_success.htm
Nov. 2013
Beneficial to:
• Creative economy,
productivity,
innovation.
• Competitive for hiring
& retaining employees.
• Strong retails sales,
transport choice.
www.markfenton.com
www.markfenton.com
Walkability.
Why we care & why
you should too!
Builder Magazine,
Mar. 2014
• Consumer desire
• Flexibility in design
• Lower development
costs . . .
www.markfenton.com
What’s happening?
• 1st & 2nd generation
malls & big boxes are
struggling.
• Employers seek vibrant,
livable communities,
where employee health,
satisfaction, & retention
are high!
www.markfenton.com
So how to get there?
Opening Eyes with a Walk
A moist walkabout in New Bedford, MA
www.markfenton.com
Three benefits of walkabouts:
• Powerful educational tool; people actually
experience what works & what doesn’t.
• Can be critical inspiration for a community,
leading to a healthy vision & action.
• Excellent for public input & practical planning.
www.markfenton.com
•
Public
comment;
design
How, when to
charrettes. Road, trail, park
host walk
projects; private
audits?
development; hearings.
• Better “events.” E.g. Walk
to School/Work week; open
streets; better blocks.
• Hosted walks: School,
church, senior center,
neighborhood association,
business
district.
Boone
www.markfenton.com
• Any & all concerned citizens
(elderly, parents, children).
• Professionals: Public works,
police, fire, health, planners,
engineers, conservation,
parks & recreation, schools,
historical preservation.
• Elected officials and staff.
• Advocates: Environment,
trails, safety, social justice.
• Businesses; chamber of
commerce, economic
development.
• Developers: Builders, land
owners, realtors, lenders.
Who to include?
Everyone!
www.markfenton.com
Typical Active Community Workshop
elements:
• Vision/Intros. Your wish for
10 years from now.
• Learn. Language, tools,
possibilities.
• Walk. Experience what’s
working & what needs help.
• Work. Develop programs,
projects, & policies.
• Plan. Concrete next steps.
www.markfenton.com
Include youth!
Nogales AZ
They’re not
constrained
by what
“can’t be
done!”
Active community environment
survey: www.michiganfitness.org
www.markfenton.com
During a Walk Audit:
• Plan teachable moments. Scout for
representative challenges & opportunities.
• Experience both good & bad.
• Get all to offer ideas. Use 0-10 scoring
system to start discussion.
www.markfenton.com
Human curb extension
in Carlisle, PA.
www.markfenton.com
Finding “teachable” moments.
Neighbor informally
maintaining an island
at 5:30 am.
Discovering pedestrian
demand w/ a goat trail.
www.markfenton.com
During the group work & discussion:
• Mix disciplines in the groups.
Don’t let all engineers or
advocates or developers sit
together.
• Insist on ideas under all of
Ps. It assures that everyone
has a role in implementation.
• Make sure everyone
contributes. Ideally have big
maps & pens for all.
www.markfenton.com
Require ideas from all three P’s!
• Programs: Build
awareness, plans,
support, skills.
• Projects: Improve
the infrastructure
for physical
activity.
• Policies: Rewrite
the rules so it’s
done “right.”
www.markfenton.com
E.g. Carlisle PA
workshop feedback.
www.markfenton.com
•
Force
commitments:
What will •
we/you do
tomorrow?
Be a champion. Talk to
others, organize, lead.
Collect data. Map routes,
measure traffic, speeds,
mode shares; research $.
• Have event. Open street,
Walk to School/Work.
• Fix stuff. Paint crosswalks,
replace lights, cut brush.
• Try new stuff. Signs,
bollards, planters, paint.
www.markfenton.com