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4 Physical Activity and the Built Environment
Pages 25-34

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From page 25...
... Yet each has the potential to contribute to obesity prevention. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT The Federal Reserve has a deep commitment to the economic health of low-income communities across the country, said David Erickson, director of the Center for Community Development Investments at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.1 Each of the 12 Federal Reserve banks across the country has a community development department dedicated to fostering local development and the maximum employment possible.
From page 26...
... "It's obvious that we in community development and those who worry about public health are working side by side in the same communities, but we don't know each other." Erickson closed by briefly mentioning three programs that he believes would be valuable allies in reducing childhood obesity: the Healthy Foods Financing Initiative3 for building grocery stores in food deserts; transitoriented development; and small business development of companies that, for instance, provide locally sourced organic food. 3 For more information on the Healthy Foods Financing Initiative, see http://www.acf.hhs.
From page 27...
... The federal transportation program gives money to state departments of transportation and lets them decide what to do with it. Transportation planners resist even applying to transportation projects useful techniques such as health impact assessment -- which could potentially expedite projects or garner more funding if the results were positive -- because they believe "it is simply another box to check," Corless commented.
From page 28...
... The important issues in the short term, Corless concluded, are safe routes to school, crash reduction, complete streets7 policies, and health agencies advocating for active transportation policies and land use planning. A more long-term (which Corless defined as 5-10 years)
From page 29...
... It is based on a synthesis of business case studies and scientific research, including randomized controlled trials and cross-sectional studies examining the cost of injuries and of people remaining inactive versus engaging in short stints of activity. With the calculator, employers enter their number of employees, the average hourly wage, the average number of hours worked per week, the industry type, and whether the 10-minute recess will be mandatory or voluntary.
From page 30...
... The national parks provide a prime opportunity to promote public health activities, said Captain Chuck Higgins, director of the Office of Public Health for the National Park Service. Higgins recently has been leading an effort to extend the role of the national parks in public health.
From page 31...
... Finally, in the area of alignment and synergy, the Park Service will examine its own policies to ensure that they support the Healthy Parks, Healthy People initiative and are aligned with other federal efforts. PLACES TO PLAY The City Project15 is ultimately a civil rights law firm, said its executive director, counsel, and founder, Robert García.
From page 32...
... When the City of Los Angeles and a developer wanted to locate a commercial project in an abandoned rail yard with no environmental review and no consideration of alternatives, The City Project organized a campaign to create Rio de Los Angeles State Park. The park has led to the greening of the Los Angeles River and has become a model for the federal government's urban waters initiative.
From page 33...
... Joseph Thompson, member of the IOM Standing Committee on Obesity Prevention and the workshop planning committee, asked all of the panelists which metrics they see as most important to health and how the use of such metrics would align their disparate interests. Erickson responded that an unconventional metric would be hope.
From page 34...
... Having more people on welldesigned streets can improve safety in multiple ways, such as by reducing both pedestrian accidents and crime. Corless said that in his experience, public health officials have greater credibility than politicians or developers in marshaling public support for transportation projects.


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