by 
Share On Social!
In May 2012, Bike/Walk Central Florida launched a community-wide coalition to improve walkability and safety for children in Orlando (25.4% Latino), called Best Foot Forward. In June of 2015, Metroplan Orlando, the metropolitan planning organization, supported the expansion of Best Foot Forward to Osceola (48.6% Latino) and Seminole (18.6% Latino) Counties by funding $100,000 of taxpayer money.
There is a strong correlation between walkability and reduced obesity. However, Latino populations typically lack access to safe walking routes thus suffer harmful health outcomes.
Best Foot Forward implements a variety of initiatives to improve walkability and increase safety under their “Triple E” strategy, which is to Engineer safer environments, Educate drivers and pedestrians, and Enforce interventions. Examples of projects include installing “Yield to Pedestrian” signs at intersections; providing pedestrian safety classes for students; providing pedestrian safety flyers in Spanish; and arranging police officers to patrol dangerous intersections. Additional funding will expand these projects to reach more people and improve more intersections.
Residents are more physically active when cities improve walkability and increase safety for pedestrians, which could have a positive impact on reducing and preventing Latino childhood obesity.
Click here to read about this change.
Click here to read the Best Foot Forward 2014 Annual Report.
By The Numbers
33
percent
of Latinos live within walking distance (<1 mile) of a park
