Hello All,
As promised, I have included below a brief recap of the California Healthy Cities and Communities 2007 Annual Conference I attended on behalf of HUNC on April 19th. The conference was conducted by the Center for Civic Partnerships and its parent organization, the Public Health Institute (PHI). The purpose of this conference was for participants to explore new ways to plan for and assess healthy environments while encouraging support for affordable housing and multi-generational programs and facility use. The conference consisted of a keynote speaker followed by several informational sessions conducted by experts in the fields of health, public policy, planning, and land use.
Across the Life Span: The Built Environment as Health Enabler or Disabler
Lawrence D. Frank, Ph.D., AICP, ASLA
Bombardier Chairholder, Sustainable Urban Transportation Systems
School of Community Planning, University of British Columbia
Dr. Frank served as the keynote speaker for the conference and is recognized as a preeminent expert in the interaction between land use, travel behavior, air quality, and public health.
Dr. Frank emphasized the importance of the correlation between the built environment and health across age groups and the multiple impacts of land use and design on quality of life. Dr. Frank also pointed out that public transportation is critical to every walkable environment and explained that the type and scope of the community built is dependant upon the transportation infrastructure that is provided. The travel pattern of the community then becomes entrenched based upon the infrastructure that has already been put in place. Additionally, Dr. Frank theorized that the separation of residential, employment and retail uses of land are associated with lower levels of active transportation and increased odds of being obese and being more at risk for developing a chronic disease. Dr. Frank referenced a number of studies that have focused on the critical importance of urban design and its impact on our overall health to further support his theory that common, modern applications of zoning are health adverse.
Making Plans for an Aging California
Joan M. Twiss, M.A., Executive Director, Center for Civic Partnerships
Theresa Marino, Manager, Long Beach Bureau of Public Health
This session highlighted the expected doubling of California's 65-plus population in the next 25 years and the need for cities and local government to begin planning for how this level of growth will impact communities. Ms. Marino explained how much of her work focusing on providing services and resources for the elderly in Long Beach has helped contribute to the overall success of the strategic plan for the City of Long Beach. Ms. Twiss discussed strategies for local government leaders to prepare for the aging population that included developing further understanding of NORC's or naturally occurring retirement communities and the need to incorporate services and resources into these already exiting communities. Ms. Twiss acknowledged that, by using a systems approach, these NORC's can then serve as models for further development of communities that cater to the specific needs and desires of a mature population.
Building Support for Affordable Housing
Beth Steckler, Policy Director, Livable Places
Michael Woo, Los Angeles City Planning Commissioner; Board Chair, Smart Growth America; Adjunct Professor, USC School of Policy, Planning and Development
This session addressed current housing trends and housing policy reform efforts, including the impact on older adults and low-income communities. Ms. Steckler expressed her belief that low density, auto oriented developments are actually eroding community character and provided examples of a number of development implementations that maximize use of space and utility (high density) while concurrently providing an aesthetically pleasing live/work environment for community members. Ms. Steckler made the distinction between 'density' and 'population,' noting that density refers to the number of homes on a parcel of land as opposed to the actual number of people that may inhabit a given area. This distinction is crucial to a full understanding of how high density development that is thoughtfully planned can actually reduce traffic congestion and improve the livability of a community despite an increase in the population.
Mr. Woo conveyed his belief that one way to make Los Angeles a more livable community is to provide housing that is affordable for people of all income levels.
He believes this can be achieved by educating the public and key decision makers about the changes needed in order for our communities to engage in 'smart growth' that will shape and mold our neighborhoods for years to come. This will include revision to policies, assumptions, and influences that have broader implications for land use and development. Mr. Woo identified as one of these revisions a need to move away from a politicized, reactive planning process that is supported by developers reliant upon their associations with local politicians in exchange for a defined, proactive plan for growth that requires developers to adhere to the specifications of the greater plan, regardless of their political affiliations.
For anyone who has further interest, a copy of the materials provided at the conference is available for review in the PLUM file in the HUNC office. Please let me know if you have any questions!
