Building Healthy Communities

Activity and Program Resources for Washington Local Governments

About Building Healthy Communities

The process of building healthy communities covers many topics. In addition to the objectives of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Healthy People 2010, the Washington legislature passed Chapter 360, Laws of 2005 (ESSB 5186), which sets out a policy for promoting physical activity through urban planning and transportation approaches. County and city comprehensive plans are directed, wherever possible, to utilize urban planning approaches that promote physical activity. The state Park and Recreation Commission has a role to maintain policies that increase the number of people who have access to free or low-cost recreational opportunities for physical activity, including noncompetitive physical activity. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is to promote the adoption of school-based curricula and policies that provide quality, daily physical education for all students, and to encourage policies that provide all students with opportunities for physical activity outside of formal physical education classes

This page provides links to general information resources. See the listing under MRSC Related Pages for other elements cited by Healthy People 2020 and Washington's policy on promoting physical activity. If you have suggested additions for this page please Contact the Page Editor.

Promoting and Building Healthy Communities

National Association of County and City Public Health Officials (NACCHO)
- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
- Resolution 03-02 ( 14 KB) - Supporting Land Use Planning/Community Design, adopted September 9, 2003
- Resolution 04-05 ( 9 KB) - Promoting Conditions that Foster Healthy Behaviors, adopted on April 1, 2004
Active Living and Social Equity: Creating Health Communities for All Residents: A Guide for Local Governments (, 404 KB) ICMA IQ Report, January 2005
Active Living Leadership Web site - How Can Government Leadership Support Active Living and Healthy Eating?
Partnership effort of the International City/County Management Association, the Local Government Commission, National Association of Counties, National Conference of State Legislators, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, and United States Conference of Mayors
Designing and Building Healthy Places - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Economic Value of Walkability ( 147.63 KB), by Todd Alexander Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, October 2004
Exercise-Based Transportation Reduces Oil Dependence, Carbon Emissions and Obesity ( 86 KB), by Paul A.T. Higgins, Environmental Conservation 32 (3): 197–202, © 2005 Foundation for Environmental Conservation
Healthy Communities Project - Washington State Department of Health (pilot programs in Moses Lake and Mount Vernon)
Is Physical Inactivity Draining Our Government Coffers? by Judy Corbett and Marla Hollander
California County Magazine; July/August 2004, on Local Government Commission Web site
King County Health Action Plan
King County Healthy Families and Communities Task Force (HFC)
Washington Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (WCPPA)

Accommodating People with Disabilities

Accessibility and the Environment (Community Design) - Centers for Disease Control
Livable Communities Project - American Foundation for the Blind
Special Recreation Programs - MRSC Parks Program Page
Thurston County Public Health and Social Services - Developmental Disability Program

Health Promotion and Educational Activities

Resources
- Community Prevention and Wellness Program - Washington State Department of Health
- Community Projects - Washington State Department of Health, Health Education Resource Exchange
- King County Health Educators Tool Box
- HP 2010 Information Access Project - A collaboration of U.S. government agencies, public health organizations, and health sciences libraries
- Promoting Information Resources to Public through Libraries - Healthy People Library Project
General Programs
- Denver Healthy People 2010
- Cowlitz Health Department Health Promotion Programs
- Kirkland - Building a Healthy Kirkland
- Kitsap County Health District Health Promotion Page
- Moses Lake Healthy Communities
  - Moses Lake Healthy Communities Program Description ( 78 KB), 2003 AWC Municipal Achievement Award entry
- Tacoma-Pierce County Public Health - Physical Activity and Nutrition
Wellness
- Washington State Wellness Guidelines For Insurance Carriers, Employers and Individuals - Washington State Department of Health, Health Education Resource Exchange
- Association of Washington Cities Wellness Works Program
- Disease Management, Wellness Programs First Steps towards Reducing Health Care Costs: Council Approves Initial Findings of Health Benefits Task Force - King County, March 2004
  - King County Health Advisory Task Force

Nutrition and Food Security - Healthy Eating

Improving the diet and eliminating trans fats are part of the federal Healthy People Initiative. Most of the state and local policies appear to focus on school meal programs and restrictions on school vendors reducing "junk food," which generally/often has high fat content. The city of Seattle passed an ordinance regarding vending around schools. A few cities around the county appear to have proposed legislation regarding the reduction of trans-fats in food offered to the public, and there appear to be some voluntary programs in place. Washington cities may not have the authority to deal with trans fats, but county health departments may be able to venture into this area.

Information Resources
- Farmers Markets - MRSC
- Community Gardens - MRSC
- CDC Healthy Youth Fact Sheet - Foods and Beverages Sold Outside of the School Meal Programs
- Healthy Food, Healthy Communities: Improving Access and Opportunities Through Food Retailing ( 2.62 MB), by Rebecca Flournoy and Sarah Treuhaft principal authors, PolicyLink, Fall 2005.
- Healthy Schools - Fat and Trans Fat What Schools Need to Know and Food Guidelines - British Columbia Ministry of Education
- National Farm to School Network
  - Washington Profile
- A Planners Guide to Community and Regional Food Planning, Samina Raja, Branden Born, and Jessica Kozlowski Russell, APA Planning Advisory Service Report No. 554, August 2008 Library Loan
Legislation and Policy
- Local Farms-Healthy Kids and Communities Act (SSB 6483) ( 51 KB- Creates four programs: a Washington Grown Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant Program administered by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI); a Farmers Market Technology Improvement Pilot Program administered by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS); and a Farmers to Food Banks Pilot Program administered by the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED).
- Farm-to-School Connections - WSU Extension - King County
- Trans Fat and Menu Labeling Legislation - National Council of State Legislatures
- Childhood Obesity: Legislative Policy Approaches and the Evidence Base to Date - National Council of State Legislatures
- Fitness, Food and Finding Solutions: Approaches to Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Treatment - National Council of State Legislatures
- Washington State Senate Bill 5436 (March 2004) requires school districts in Washington State to adopt wellness policies regarding nutrition and physical activity. See Final Bill Report
  - School District Physical Activity and Nutrition Policies - Links to nutrition and physical fitness policies recently adopted by school districts in Washington State in response to Senate Bill 5436 - Healthy Schools in Washington
- Seattle Ordinance No. 121813 - Restricts mobile vending to 1000 feet of a public school
- New York City Health Department - Board of Health Votes to Phase Out Artificial Trans Fat from Restaurants
  The New York City Board of Health voted unanimously to require all City restaurants to remove artificial trans fat over the next 18 months (12-06 to 7-08). The Board also voted on other measures, including requiring calorie labeling in some NYC restaurants
  - Board of Health Votes to Phase Out Artificial Trans Fat from New York City’s Restaurants Press Release #114-06, December 5, 2006
    - Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Board of Health Notice of Adoption of an Amendment (§81.08)
      to Article 81 of the New York City Health Code ( 131 KB)
  - Board of Health Votes to Require Calorie Labeling in Some New York City Restaurants Press Release #113-06, December 5, 2006
    - Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Board Of Health Notice of Adoption of an Amendment (§81.50) to Article 81 of the New York City Health Code (147 KB)
- Seattle-King County Public Health Press Release - Menu labeling, trans fat ban approved by the Board of Health, 7-19-07

Transportation Planning - Walkable Communities

Building a New Paradigm: Improving Public Health Through Transportation ( 74 KB) - ITE Journal, June 2003
Design Guidance: Accommodating Bicycle and Pedestrian Travel: A Recommended Approach: A US DOT Policy Statement Integrating Bicycling and Walking into Transportation Infrastructure, Federal Highway Administration
Designing Transportation Facilities for Pedestrians and Bicycles - MRSC
How Land Use and Transportation Systems Impact Public Health: An Annotated Bibliography ( 636 KB) - Lawrence D. Frank, Peter Engelke, Daniel Hourigan, ACES: Active Community Environments Initiative Working Paper # 2, Centers for Disease Control
Pedestrian Facilities - Sidewalks - MRSC
A Resident's Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities - Federal Highway Administration
Transportation and Health Fact Sheet - Surface Transportation Policy Project (STTP)
Walking Programs & Opportunities - MRSC
Why People Don't Walk and What City Planners Can Do About It ( 354 KB) - LGC Center for Livable Communities

Youth

Healthy Youth - Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Kitsap County Commission on Children and Youth Report, ( 104 MB) 2004 - This report is a snapshot of children, youth, and families in Kitsap County. It identifies where the community is doing well, and where it might do better to provide insights that help make more informed decisions; ensuring the actions taken will continue to create a healthier community.
Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance, Jeffrey P. Koplan, Catharyn T. Liverman, and Vivica A. Kraak, Editors, Committee on Prevention of Obesity in Children and Youth, National Academies, 2005 Online version
Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity: How Do We Measure Up? Committee on Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity, National Academies, 2006 Online version
Youth Development - Innovation Center