healthy kids, healthy communities supporting community action to prevent childhood obesity exploring...
TRANSCRIPT
Healthy Kids,Healthy CommunitiesSupporting Community Action to Prevent Childhood Obesity
Exploring Policy Assessment Strategies for Healthy Eating and Active Living
Conference callMarch 4, 2010
Agenda
• Goals and expectationsRich Bell, Project OfficerActive Living By Design
• Holyoke, MA Policy Review Catherine Ratté, Principal Planner-SustainabilityPioneer Valley Planning Commission
• Tools and ResourcesLaura Brennan, President and CEOTranstria
• Discussion and Q&A
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 22
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 33
Goal of Policy Assessment
• Understand the policy environment
• Identify if current policies help or hinder healthy eating and active living
• Validate (or make adjustments to) your workplan
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities
Systems
44
Policy 1
Guidelines
Policy 2
Master Plan
Funding
Procedures
Training
Staffing
Agreements
Personality/Ideology
Relationships
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities
Comprehensive Plan
Different Types of Policy
55
Big “P” Policy = rules/statutes approved by elected officials
Approved master plans
City Ordinance
Design GuidelinesProtocols
Departmental Practices/Norms
Little “p” Policy = departmental policies and practices
Budgets/Capital Funding
Limited Definition: Policy = Legislationi.e. the higher the “lever,” the greater the impact
Policy Assessment Spectrum
Comprehensive regulatory review with stakeholder
analysis and recommendations
Policy gathering of community
members and decision makers, followed by action
steps
Focus groups
(related to specific HEAL
topics or broad)
Informal conversations
with key informants in
already defined areas of interest
Examination of current HEAL
policies and their strengths and weaknesses
Structured key informant
interviews (related to
specific HEAL topics or broad)
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 66
Informal Technical
Holyoke, MA
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 77
Case Study of Policy Analysis to Enhance Food and Fitness
Holyoke, MA
Catherine Ratté - Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (www.pvpc.org) HFFPC
Background - Holyoke, MA
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 88
•1 of 9 W. K. Kellogg Foundation Food and Fitness Collaborative sites
•Element of planning grant for City of Holyoke
•2 years for planning!
•Sub-contractor paid to conduct assessment
•PVPC=regional planning agency with ongoing working relationship in Holyoke and 40 years shared history in region
Goals of the Regulatory Analysis
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 99
•Improve health and fitness of Holyoke residents
•Understand how the city of Holyoke’s regulatory/policy environment affects residents’ lives with respect to their health and fitness
•Analyze the city’s regulatory environment, zoning and subdivision regulations
•To ID the regs and policies that support or inhibit residents’ ability to be physically active in their daily lives in addition to their ability to access healthy food
•Offer suggestions to maximize the benefits of existing regs and potential changes to zoning code to increase residents’ access to physical activity and healthy food
Goals of Holyoke Regulatory Analysis
How It Happened
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 1010
• Not rocket science
• Read existing zoning ordinances and sub-division regulations with two questions in mind:– How does this help or hinder
residents’ ability to get exercise/be active in their daily lives?
– How does this help or hurt residents’ ability to access healthy food—at stores, in gardens, schools, restaurants, etc?
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 1111
Zoning/Sub-Division Regulations
•Documents may be available on-line
•Can get copies from Planning Department
•Internship possibility for undergraduate or graduate students interested in planning, policy and/or law
Reality - Holyoke, MA
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 1212
•Could not document “unwritten” policies because they are unwritten for a reason!
•Need to be very careful with perceived “criticism”
•Important to spend considerable time with “owners” of policies to help them to see and accept the need for change —this could be phased
Summary of Holyoke Findings
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 1313
Physical Activity Healthy Food
Promotes or enhances access 14 8
Creates barriers or impedes access 4 5
Regulations affecting physical activity and healthy food access
Key Recommendations
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 1414
•Add the phrase “encourage pedestrian and bicycle commute modes by providing on-site bicycle parking, storage, locker room facilities, bike and walking paths, and similar features” to all zones
•Enact an “Interim Land Use Policy” to allow public use of land for community purposes such as gardens, recreational space or temporary art
•Holyoke requires sidewalks in all new subdivisions—make sure your community does too
Zoning Basics
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 1515
•By right – incentivizes behavior—make what you want “by right”, i.e. flexible development versus special permit for what you don’t want
•Need for education, i.e. Sidewalks—can seem like a burden, but…
•Restrict, i.e. Broaden the restriction on formula restaurants in other zones
with a Restaurant Restrictions Ordinance
•Clarify/streamline/define, i.e. Establish basic standards for gardens to minimize potential conflict with neighbors
•Get Creative, i.e. Amend existing zoning to formally allow the redevelopment of downtown buildings without having to meet the current suburban parking requirements by right, but with some sort of formula that ensures provision of some parking
Strategies for Engaging Policy Makers
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 1616
•Talk, talk, talk
•Go to them
•Be patient
•Have good, accurate information
•Add value to what they do – find commonalities
Indicators for Successful Advocacy Efforts
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 1717
•People oppose what you are doing
•People support what you are doing
•Planning staff and Planning Board members support proposed change
Zoning 101
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 1818
•Use-based
•Form-based
•Overlay and special use districts
Land Use Policy
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 1919
1) Regional Location/Access to Transit
2) Land Use Mix3) Density and Intensity of
Development4) Street Connectivity/Design5) Access to Healthy Food
Retail6) Access to Recreational
Facilities7) Presence of Greenery8) Distance from Sources of
Air Pollution9) Affordable Housing
1) VMT, Air pollution, injuries, inactivity
2) Likely to walk
3) VMT lower, casualties lower
4) VMT lower, sidewalks-injury, street width-injury
5) Lack of healthy food stores
6) Create places for activity
7) Mental refuge, shade, filter pollutants,
8) Don’t build near highways, sources of air pollution.
9) Lack of affordable housing= less $ for health care, higher stress, greater risk for exposure
Design Decision Health Impacts
Tools and Resources
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 2020
Laura Brennan President and CEO
Transtria, LLC
Objective Approaches
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 2121
Policy assessment•Existing legislation or policies•New/modified legislation or policies•Practices and guidelines•Records of events, attendance, inventory
Policy implementation/enforcement•Environmental audits•Existing data sources and GIS mapping•Direct observation of behavior•Photos and videos•Media (posters, billboards, newspaper articles)
Perceived Approaches
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 2222
Assessment/Implementation/Enforcement•In-depth, open-ended discussions•Self-report surveys•Focus groups•One-on-one interviews•Community forums•Concept mapping•Photovoice
Indicators *
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 2323
Child care
Schools
Parks and recreation
Land use
Transportation
* Perceived and observed indicators are both significant
Integrated active living and healthy
eating policies
Indicators *
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 2424
Food distribution/ procurement
•Child care/School
•Community
Food production•Rural/Urban
Food retail
Food processing/ preparation
•Child care/School
•Community
* Perceived and observed indicators are both significant
Indicators *
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 2525
Transportation•Pedestrian
•Bicyclist
•Public transit
Aesthetics•Natural
•Built
•Physical disorder
Other institutions/ organizations
* Perceived and observed indicators are both significant
Considerations
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 2626
Include perspectives from diverse groups•Elected officials, community leaders•Staff responsible for policy
development/implementation/enforcement•Community members (youth engagement)
Consider relationships within and among local, regional and state departments and agencies
•Examples: health, education, planning, transportation
Review allocation of resources and support•Funding/sponsorships/taxes/incentives/
appropriations/capital expenditures
Considerations
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 2727
Obtain personnel and resources•Staffing/expertise, training, additional funding
Ensure consistent data collection and reporting•Examples: use decision rules, tracking forms
Policy Assessment Tools
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 2828
W. K. Kellogg Food & Fitness Planning Guide
http://www.healthykidshealthycommunities.org/sites/default/files/Food_and_Fitness_Planning_Assessment_Guide.pdf
Prioritizing Policy Tools
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 2929
W. K. Kellogg Food & Fitness Planning Guide
http://www.healthykidshealthycommunities.org/sites/default/files/Food_and_Fitness_Planning_Assessment_Guide.pdf
(Last page)
Policy Assessment Tools
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 3030
CDC Community Health Assessment aNd Group Evaluation (CHANGE) Tool
http://www.cdc.gov/healthycommunitiesprogram/tools/change.htm
Policy Assessment Tools
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 3131
YMCA of the USA’s Community Healthy Living Index (CHLI)
http://www.ymca.net/communityhealthylivingindex/tools.html
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 3232
http://www.healthykidshealthycommunities.org/sites/default/files/Holyoke%20Regulatory%20Review%20Final_012309.pdf
Policy Assessment Tools
Example: Holyoke, MA
Healthy Kids,Healthy Communities 3333
HKHC Resources
www.healthykidshealthycommunities.org/HKHC_presentations