After years of working with city departments and groups around the community, organizers from Living Streets L.A. finally celebrated victory, with plans for four parklets across the city underway. The establishment of these parklets will serve as a pilot program for a city-wide plan to support parklets and complete streets throughout the city. Council members Jose Huizar and Jan Perry both supported the motion for the parklet pilot program in 2011. Still, the effort to bring parklets to LA started at the community level, when Living Streets L.A. and the Downtown Neighborhood Council encouraged Huizar's team to adopt a parklet program for downtown L.A. The first park to be opened was Highland Park Parklet, the second was the Spring Street Parklet, and the third will be at El ...
Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago has launched the Chicago Plays initiative to improve the condition of 300 parks and playgrounds throughout the city. Parks with trails, playgrounds, and athletic facilities can increase the amount of physical activity that people participate in. A recent study found that 81 percent of Hispanic neighborhoods lacked recreational facilities. Through the Chicago Plays initiative, Mayor Emanuel hopes to provide at least one park within a 10-minute walking distance of every Chicagoan. Chicago Plays is a five year playground renovation project that aims to improve the quality of 300 parks and playgrounds throughout Chicago. According to a press release from the office of the mayor, Mayor Emanuel hopes to complete the first upgrades to 50 playgrounds by November ...
In 2010, a group of Latina immigrants living in Granada, a neighborhood of Phoenix, formed Vecinos Unidos Siempre (Neighbors United Forever)---in order to unite residents and bring about improvements to their neighborhood. As a result of forming this group and partnering with Maryvale on the Move (a Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities initiative) residents were able to bring about improvements to the only park in their neighborhood. More Information and Resources Neighbors United Forever for Change (Vecinos Unidos Siempre para el cambio) Phoenix, AZ At the end of 2011, the Phoenix city council released a $1.2 million bond to be used for improvements to Cielito Lindo Park--located in the predominantly Hispanic neighborhood of Granada. A steering committee comprised of local residents was ...
The Fort Worth 2012 Comprehensive Plan (Chapter 6: Parks and Community Services) states that the city plans on entering into shared use agreements with local school districts in order to increase the amount of park space. The city hopes to increase its park space to 6.1 acres per 1,000 residents by 2025 and recognizes the need to concentrate on areas throughout the city with the highest need. According to the author of an op-ed from the Star Telegram, compared to Austin, Houston, Dallas, Plano, and Arlington, Forth Worth lags behind when it comes to park space. With only 5.3 acres of land per 1,000 residents, and the city rapidly growing, some believe that more should be done to accommodate the need for more ...
After struggling to be placed on a list of projects to be funded by the 2012-2017 Bond, residents living in the St. James and Normoyle Park Area located in the Southside of San Antonio (district 5), secured funds to create a safer park for their children. A united community and support from local residents was an important aspect of demonstrating the need for improvements in this park. In this video residents from district 5, near Normoyle Park, gathered to discuss why improvements to the park were needed. The need for lights in the park, as well as fairness in how bond funds should be distributed among the community were discussed. This video demonstrates how Maria Lugo, Gerry Noriega, and residents from the St. James and Normoyle Park area addressed the city council to thank former ...
San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro appointed the Mayor’s Fitness Council (MFC) in May 2010. The mission of the Mayor’s Fitness Council is to transform San Antonio into a healthier and more active community in which citizens, groups, and organizations achieve targeted health and fitness goals through initiatives in the following areas: media and promotions;
fitness;
nutrition;
healthy schools;
work-site wellness; and
policy. The MFC is also encouraging youth to be health ambassadors through the Mayor's Fitness Council Student Ambassador program. These outstanding kids are committed to bringing healthier lifestyles into their schools and communities. Watch the video to learn more about the Student Ambassador Program. To learn more about the Mayor's Fitness Council ...
Since 2008, students enrolled in Texas Public Schools have had their fitness levels assessed using FitnessGram--a tool that provides useful information to parents, teachers, and administrators and helps inform decisions about physical education and physical activity requirements for students. FitnessGram is an annual fitness test that yields a fitness report card, with information about a student's aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. It can help decision makers decide what type of physical activity programs are needed and where funding for programs should be allocated. Lauren Dimitry of Texans Care for Children speaks on why it is important to keep FitnessGram in Texas ...
According to a news article from The Reporter, health advocacy groups are working with state policy makers in Pennsylvania to develop legislation that would create a specific fund to support the construction of walking and bike trails. Groups like the Mission: Readiness organization---an organization of retired military leaders---are concerned that childhood obesity has become an issue of national security and have called on state lawmakers to develop a comprehensive transportation plan that would include active modes of transportation. The news story reports that legislators plan on proposing a whole sales tax on fuel sold to gas stations to support the development of trails. They are hoping that this tax would help raise between $2.5 billion and $2.8 billion a year for new ...
GO TO 2040 is metropolitan Chicago's first comprehensive regional plan in more than 100 years and establishes coordinated strategies that help the region's 284 communities address transportation, housing, economic development, open space, the environment, and other quality-of-life issues. One target area of GO TO 2040 is to promote and sustain local food systems, like encouraging more urban farming and equal access to fresh, healthy foods. Another target area hopes to expand and improve parks and open space; less than half of Chicago-area residents have adequate parks nearby. Public policies for land use, transportation, and many other issues in the GO TO 2040 plan influence the effectiveness and sustainability of our food systems. To benefit the region's economy and the health of ...
