Building Healthy Communities: The Role of Urban Planning & Design. Jacob A. Wagner, Ph.D. Department of Architecture, Urban Planning + Design UMKC

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1 Building Healthy Communities: The Role of Urban Planning & Design Jacob A. Wagner, Ph.D. Department of Architecture, Urban Planning + Design UMKC

2 conference objectives 1. Describe how decreased contact with our natural environment contributes to the current state of children s health. 2. Identify regional efforts to increase capacity in communities to address environmental and health related challenges. 3. Identify local efforts and resources to enhance knowledge and advocacy for healthy families at the community, school and home levels. 4. Integrate local initiatives into current practice and programs to promote healthy communities, schools and homes. 5. Review options to collectively advance efforts to increase healthy and safe outdoor environments for children.

3 purpose Review key concepts and provide accurate information Value of nature to promote physical activity and overall well-being in children and their families. Participants will learn about the impact that the built environment has on health and how to encourage families to go outdoors. Information on national, regional, and local projects that encourage outdoor activity and better health will be provided. How participants can advance efforts to improve the health of children will be promoted.

4 What is Urban Planning? Promotion of health, safety, welfare Regulation of land use activity Planning, design and development of urban systems: Built environment, land use Transportation and mobility Environmental conditions Food systems Place-based public policies

5 What is urban design? Design and management of public spaces Conservation of existing neighborhoods Regulation of height, setbacks, and other physical characteristics of built structures Design of spaces between buildings Place-making

6 basic challenge Our success at solving the problems of the industrial city have led to the problems and unintended consequences of the post-industrial, suburban region Cultural biases against urban density create underlying problems with building healthier environments To improve public health we must retrofit existing environments If we have designed everyday nature out of our cities, we can and must design it back in

7 basic challenge To improve public health we must retrofit existing environments, create greater efficiency and activity through increased population densities re-design our built environment to promote everyday activity and interaction with natural systems encourage non-motorized transportation

8 current & recent projects Neighborhood and Community-based planning 27 th and Prospect Neighborhood Plan Washington Wheatley Neighborhood Plan Green Impact Zone Historic Resources survey Disaster Recovery Planning, New Orleans Lafitte Greenway, New Orleans Planning for Urban Agriculture

9 challenges of existing neighborhoods Urban Neighborhoods Concentrated poverty Densities can vary greatly Streetcar city Was walk-able at one time.. Higher usage/dependency on public transit Environmental justice issues Illegal dumping Air quality Housing conditions Food deserts Suburban Neighborhoods Low density development Inability to walk to everyday needs Schools Basic services Aging in place, isolation Lack of public spaces Auto-dependent, high traffic speeds Air quality issues Increasing poverty

10 VACANT BUILDINGS DANGEROUS BUILDINGS NEIGHBORHOOD CONDITIONS

11 KEY COALITION 1925 KEY COALITION 1950 KEY COALITION 2000

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22 Increase civic engagement and responsibility for shared spaces Involve multiple stakeholders with a variety of skills and experiences Work to solve immediate challenges don t be afraid to get started Seek partnerships, build capacity

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24 opportunities Increase contact with our natural environment Multiple scales: house, block, neighborhood, city, region Public spaces, parks, walkways, greenways Increase capacity to address environmental and health related challenges Collaborative planning processes Rebuild/rethink community economic development to include ecological learning

25 opportunities encourage outdoor activity and better health Public safety is critical Safety audits Infrastructure and public spaces provide opportunities