building trails for community health

[bill london <london@moscow.com>]

>
> >Washington, DC - The National Center for Bicycling & Walking (NCBW) has
> >just published a new guide, Increasing Physical Activity Through Community
> >Design. This 48-page guide focuses on how to make communities more
> >bicycle-friendly and walkable. It was developed under a grant from The
> >Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
> >
> >"We know that a wide range of health problems are associated with low
> >levels of physical activity," said Bill Wilkinson, NCBW's executive
> >director. "Indeed, it is estimated that physical inactivity and obesity
> >are contributing factors in 300,000 to 500,000 deaths each year in the
> >United States. According to professionals in public health, one of the
> >most effective 'interventions' is regular, routine physical activity such
> >as bicycling and walking."
> >
> >Wilkinson added that the new guide is designed to provide public health
> >practitioners and others an introduction to increasing physical activity
> >through better community design, specifically by making it easier and
> >safer to bicycle and walk.
> >"Fostering active living through community design involves changing the
> >objectives for transportation and land-use planning," Wilkinson said. "We
> >have to make better decisions on the location of schools and parks, and
> >give more attention to safety and security concerns. We have to realize
> >that all of these activities have very direct health impacts and consequences."
> >
> >The new Increasing Physical Activity Through Community Design guide
> >presents an introduction to community design issues, and describes seven
> >kinds of projects that can help create more bicycle-friendly and walkable
> >communities. It also discusses how such projects get funded, and presents
> >an array of resources to help with implementation.
> >
> >Wilkinson noted that printed copies of the new Guide were sent directly to
> >each of the state public health departments in late June. It is available
> >now as a portable document file (.pdf) on the NCBW's web site at
> >http://www.bikewalk.org. Printed copies of the Guide will be available for
> >general distribution in mid-July. Contact the NCBW through its web site
> >(above) or at (202) 463-6622 to request a printed copy.
> >
> >#       #       #
> >
> >The National Center for Bicycling & Walking is a nonprofit organization
> >working to make communities bicycle-friendly and walkable. With a major
> >grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the NCBW is supporting
> >active living through community design by providing technical assistance
> >and training. The NCBW was founded in 1977 as the Bicycle Federation of
> >America. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton, New
> >Jersey, is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to
> >improving the health and health care of all Americans. The Foundation
> >concentrates its grantmaking in four goal areas: to assure that all
> >Americans have access to basic health care at reasonable cost; to improve
> >care and support for people with chronic health conditions; to promote
> >healthy communities and lifestyles; and to reduce the personal, social and
> >economic harm caused by substance abuse - tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs.
>