IMPACT OF COMPLETE STREETS DESIGNS Submitted by Wanda Cruz, Healthy Communities Coordinator
For many years all of our roads have been designed with only motor vehicles in mind. Complete Streets designs are intended to create safe and alternative forms of transportation that take into consideration pedestrian, cyclist and individuals of all ages and abilities. The design also promotes health, social economic development, connectivity and much more.
Since 2016 CCE Creating Healthy Schools and Communities worked with municipalities within our catchment areas which included: Bethel, Fallsburg, Liberty, Mamakating, Monticello and Thompson in adopting Complete Streets Policies and implementing projects related to such policies.
It was great to see a young child accompanied by an adult or older youth at the Town of Mamakating Park, accessing at no cost one of the Town of Mamakating bike repair stations.
It filled my heart with joy when Donna Consolo from the Town of Mamakating Parks and Rec. Dept. sent me the picture to the right.
6 Ways to Partner How Public Health Practitioners & Planners Can Plan for Healthy, Equitable Communities Define shared values and goals Develop understanding of each other’s priorities, to help streamline work and ensure that efforts do not conflict.
Collaborate to assess community needs
Invest in change Seek out innovative ways to fund collaboration and partnership efforts, including applying for joint funding.
Share existing data and collaborate on new data collection efforts, to get a more holistic view of community assets and challenges.
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Support each other’s outreach and engagement efforts
Integrate shared goals into plans, programs, and policies
Cooperatively evaluate the success of health-promoting efforts
Partner on engaging residents and other stakeholders, especially among populations whose voices are frequently absent. Authentic community engagement ensures that planning processes and decisions meet community needs.
Incorporate both health and planning goals into long-range plans, community health needs assessments, and community health plans.
Collectively identify measures of success for your plan, program, or policy, and use those measures to track ongoing progress.
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When public health practitioners and urban and regional planners collaborate to foster healthy, equitable communities, their efforts have greater impact and their agencies often save time and money.
§ ChangeLab Solutions is a nonprofit organization that provides legal information on matters relating to public health. The legal information in this document does not constitute legal advice or legal representation. For legal advice, readers should consult a lawyer in their state. This document was supported by a grant from The California Endowment and produced in partnership with the California Chronic Disease Prevention Leadership Project. © 2019 ChangeLab Solutions
Extension Connection
December 2021
Page 13
