January 7, 2014

Hello Urban Forestry Advocates,
 
As we start the new year, lets look at growing trends:  This issue of the CaUFC Newsletter is all about urban walkabilty and how it makes for healthier communities. And of course urban forestry plays a huge role in creating inviting outdoor neighborhoods. Walkable neighborhoods are one of the simplest and best solutions for the environment, our health, and our economy, so read on for walkability tools and resources.

Thanks for all you do for urban forestry!

Regards,

Sonali Shah
Communications Manager
California Urban Forests Council

Trees, Walking and Good Health

The problem:  In the US, 65% of US adults are overweight and physical activity has been identified as one of the top 3 underlying causes of death in the US.

The solution: Experts agree that communities with more greenery are more likely to be physically active and thus have better health.

How: Read more on the connection between trees, walkable communities and public health.

“Pedestrians present on the street as akin to an indicator species for a healthy community.” – Andrew Dannenberg, Howard Frumkin, and Richard Jackson, physicians and authors of Making Healthy Places

Designing cities to encourage more walking.

Planners, public health and other officials should consider walkability in their planning efforts to create great communities. Tactics can include providing more convenient and safer paths for pedestrians and providing more street trees.
Tools to creating more walkable communities:

• The Healthy Development Measurement Tool:  is a collection of metrics to assist urban planners and public health proponents consider health needs in development plans and projects. Developed by the San Francisco Department of Health, it is now in use in Oakland, Denver, and Geneva.
• Active Community Environments Tool Kit:  a new 50-page toolkit provides information, resources, planning and assessment tools to local physical activity coordinators, transportation coordinators, and planners to create successful Active Community Environments. The report is by the Washington State Department of Health (US) and funded by the CDC.
• Walk Steps.org:  a new website that provides communities tactics and case studies for creating walkable communities.
• “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time”: a new book by Jeff Speck discusses that a successful city has roots and causes, and among the most important of these is a sense of the street.

Walk-ability websites and apps for the public

WalkScore.org: a website and free mobile app that you a map and photos of neighborhood gems, parks, restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, public art, and more. It provides a “walk score” – a number between 0 and 100 that measures the walkability of any address. The higher the number the better. You can put in a city and get detailed results. For example, I put in San Francisco, CA, you can see SF is a very walkable city:  Admittedly Walkscore does take into account for nearby parks but doesn’t take into account trees.  There is also a free Walk Score iPhone App available.

Walkable America.org:  The Partnership for a Walkable America (PWA) is a national coalition working to improve the conditions for walking in America and to increase the number of Americans who walk regularly. The members are national governmental agencies and non-profit organizations concerned about three main areas: Health, Safety and the Environment. Has a downloadable PDF checklist to see how walkable is your community which takes into account trees and plants.

Every Body Walk.org: a website and free app aimed at getting Americans up and moving. Includes news and resources on walking, health information, walking maps, how to find walking groups, a personal pledge form to start walking, as well as a place to share stories about individual experiences with walking.