5.1.2.a Community Wellness Discussion

1. Safe neighborhoods and public spaces

Safety-related issues are often at the top of the list of concerns by neighborhood residents. People want to feel they are safe when they are walking, biking, or traversing their neighborhoods and community. The way the community is designed can play an enormous part in the perception of safety in a community. As a result, the design of a community
 

can hinder or enhance people activities within a community. Land use decisions play an important role in promoting one’s ability to engage in everyday activities within the neighbor-hood or community. Equally important is the role that perception can play in creating safe neighborhoods. Design techniques can help minimize perceived safety problems.

Such techniques include creating neighborhoods and communities that provide integration and balance of uses; viewing streets as an amenity, requiring front porches, and other semi-public areas to encourage community interaction. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles play a vital part in promoting safe neighborhoods with the emphasis on natural surveillance, territorial reinforcement, natural access control, and hardening target areas. Safescape concepts also highlight the importance of design in creating safe communities.

2. Access to public transit

Using public transit and active transportation options such as walking and biking reduces vehicle miles traveled, vehicle emissions, respiratory disease, and exposure to environmental contamination due to fuel and oil spills. Proximity to transit is associated with reduced vehicle trips and improved access to social, medical, employment, and recreational activities.

3. Safe transportation choices

Surprise has built miles of roadways for travel by vehicles. These roadways often lack adequate sidewalks, have lanes that are too narrow to share with bicyclists, and feature few, poorly marked, or dangerous pedestrian crossings. Complete Streets are streets that are designed for multiple users including pedestrians of all ages, bicyclists, people with disabilities, and cars and reduce risk of pedestrian and bicycle injuries. A commitment to community wellness requires that there is safe access for all users. It is imperative that pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and bus riders of all ages and abilities are able to safely move along and across a complete street. 

4. Access to recreation and open space

Access to a park directly affects the use of parks for recreation and physical activity. Health benefits of physical activity may include a reduced risk of premature mortality and reduced risks of heart disease. Regular participation in physical activity can also reduce depression and anxiety, improve mood, and enhance ability to perform daily tasks. The availability of school grounds for community recreation after school and on weekends can promote physical activity, social cohesion, and neighborhood safety.

5. Access to healthy foods

A grocery store in a neighborhood allows for greater fruit and vegetable consumption; reducing the prevalence of over-weight and obesity, and incidence of hunger. Farmers’ markets provide another source of fresh, locally produced fruits and vegetables. Farmers’ markets are particularly important in areas poorly served by full service grocery stores. On the other hand, where there are high numbers of fast-food restaurants compared to grocery stores, there are higher rates of health issues.

6. Access to medical services

The availability of good primary health care has a major role in the prevention of hospitalizations from chronic and communicable diseases. The availability of public transportation to community health facilities affects access to quality, affordable, reliable health care. Locating health facilities near transit can reduce vehicle trips and driving with benefits to air quality, community noise, and injuries. It also provides access to the greatest number of people.

7. Access to quality affordable housing

Lack of adequate affordable housing may force families to seek any form of shelter which, in turn, compromises their health and well-being. This can result in overcrowding, overpayment, substandard housing and longer work commutes, and other deficiencies. A wider range of housing sizes (number of bedrooms) that are affordable could alleviate overcrowding and lessen related negative health impacts. 

8. Access to life-cycle housing

Creating designs for a lifetime, for any need, so families can stay in their home as special needs arise or change-and be able to effectively market the home should circumstances require moving are key elements to providing life cycle housing and accessibility. Principles of Universal Design and Visitability in housing design can create homes that are able to accommodate a wide diversity of housing needs, from families with young children to families with elderly or disabled members. For example, a low bar with leg room underneath in the kitchen can be used by children today and a wheelchair user later. Grab bars beside the bathtub can be used by toddlers, teens or adults with a temporary need such as a sprained ankle, and by elderly residents with a more permanent need. Universal design also means wider door openings that can accommodate a wheelchair, and a 5-foot turning radius in bathrooms and kitchens.

Principles of Universal Design were developed to guide a wide range of design disciplines including environments, products, and communications. The Center for Universal Design identified design principles that include:

1. Equitable use.
2. Flexibility in use.
3. Simple and intuitive.
4. Perceptible information.
5. Tolerance for error.
6. Low physical effort.
7. Size and space for approach and use.
   Applying these principles can create homes that people are able to live in throughout their life.

9. Access to economic opportunities

Unemployment and lack of sufficient economic opportunity is a major factor in all health outcomes. Attainment of self-sufficiency income predicts better health, improved nutrition, lower mortality, and indirect health benefits such as reduced communicable diseases, and reduced community violence.

10. Connected and complete neighborhoods

A healthy community promotes neighborhoods with daily goods and services within walking distance. Being able to walk to neighborhood goods and services promotes physical activity, reduces vehicle trips and miles traveled, and increases neighborhood cohesion and safety. Healthy neighborhoods are those in which more that fifty percent of the typical daily public and retail services are located within one-quarter of a mile of their homes.

11. A quality environment

Studies have found consistent associations between living in proximity to a busy roadway and respiratory disease symptoms including asthma and lung function measures. Diesel particulate matter has acute short-term impacts and a disproportionate effect on the elderly, children, those with illnesses, or others who are sensitive to air pollutants. On the other hand, living in greener environments is associated with reduced self-reported health symptoms, better self-rated health, and higher scores on general health questionnaires. A quality environment focuses on the well-being of the communities, and on the principle that everyone is entitled to protection from the environmental hazards.

12. Sustainable development and practices

A healthy community promotes sustainability and environ-mental stewardship through the design of its built environment. Reducing electricity and natural gas usage results in reduction in climate change and air pollution emissions, reduction in the hazards, and use of environmental resources necessary to produce and transport energy. This subsequently results in improved air quality and lower rates of respiratory illness. Green businesses reduce occupational and environmental exposures to toxic chemicals and provides economic opportunities. Recycling and composting helps improve air, land, and water quality, as well as reduce energy demands associated with air pollution and green house gas emissions.
It seems common sense that major decisions regarding development and planning should be made with consideration for each of the twelve factors. After all, the factors are directly related to the public’s health. However, mechanisms and mandates for such consideration do not exist or are present in limited capacity. Providing such mechanisms will require a fresh look at the way decisions are made.