Statutory Authorization: 24 V.S.A. §§ 4302, 4382, 4410, 4430, 4432 Type: NONREGULATORY & REGULATORY Related Topic Areas: Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities; Capital Improvement Program; Downtown Revitalization; Facilities Management; Growth Centers; Land Use & Development Regulations; Open Space Programs; Open Space Regulations; Roads & Highways; Public Transit; Development Healthy Community Design B 2YHUYLHZ Planners, in collaboration with public health advocates, are returning to our roots by intentionally designing communities to promote public health, safety, and welfare. Community health–once the primary purpose for planning and zoning– became an afterthought in our design of built environments to better accommodate cars than people. Healthy community initiatives nationally, and here in Vermont, are once again bringing public health considerations to the fore, by re- establishing community health as a contemporary, increasingly relevant reason for good community design. This topic paper supplements and draws from the more comprehensive Vermont Healthy Community Design Farmers markets in villages and downtowns where people can walk to Resource: Active Living and Healthy pick up groceries help to promote both physical activity and access Eating, issued by the Vermont Health to healthy, locally-grown food. Photo by Lee Krohn Department. Health advocate interest in planning and community DUHVLJQLÀFDQWFRQWULEXWRUVWRULVLQJ organizations – including faith- design stems from growing concern rates of obesity, diabetes and the EDVHGQRQSURÀWDQGVRFLDOJURXSV about the rising rates of chronic persistence of chronic diseases. The – to promote healthy behavior. illness in modern society. Unhealthy Vermont Health Department’s “Fit eating habits and sedentary lifestyles and Healthy Vermonters” initiative Decisions made by government, targets obesity prevention by focusing businesses, and institutions all on ways to increase physical activity have an important impact on The way a community is and improve healthy eating. The shaping the conditions in the built planned —its land development vision: All Vermonters will live in environment. Policies and practices patterns, transportation options, or communities that enable them to make related to transportation and land community design —bears heavily healthy food choices and lead physically use, investments in commercial and on the health of those living there. active lives. For local communities this residential development, and the By working closely with policy means: location of schools and worksites makers, public health professionals, ‡ Comprehensive planning that XOWLPDWHO\LQÁXHQFHWKHGLVWDQFHV environmental health scientists, transportation engineers, educators, incorporates and promotes healthy people travel to work, the convenience and other community members and community design. of purchasing wholesome foods, experts, planners work to create ‡ Zoning and subdivision regulations and the safety and attractiveness healthier communities, elimination that provide for and increase access of neighborhoods for walking and adverse conditions and building to physical activity and healthy accessing parks and trails. better places for everyone to live, foods when development occurs. Healthy community design in work, and play. ‡ Organized, community-sponsored this context means planning and – American Planning Association physical activity programs that are building our communities so that it’s Planning and Community Health Research Center accessible to all local residents. easier for people to live active, healthy ‡ Collaboration with community lives. The design of our communities

Implementation Manual‡+HDOWK\&RPPXQLW\'HVLJQ‡2012‡ZZZYSLFLQIR VERMONT LAND USE EDUCATION & TRAINING COLLABORATIVE APPENDIX B-1 should accommodate and encourage physical activity and access to healthy Vermont Healthy Community Design Resource food as a regular, routine part of For more detailed information about healthy community design, please refer our daily lives to ensure that all to the Vermont Health Department’s Healthy Community Design Resource: Vermonters – regardless of age, ability KWWSKHDOWKYHUPRQWJRYIDPLO\¿WWDUJHWDVS[FRPP and income—have access to options that make the healthy choice the easy choice. under existing plan elements, or would Community Health be better addressed in a stand-alone Healthy Plans chapter on community health. A third Assessments option, presented below, is to adopt 2QHRI WKHÀUVWVWHSVLQERWK Planning for healthy communities a healthy community action plan –a planning and program development can take many forms. The Vermont “supporting plan” under Chapter is to collect available baseline data Planning and Development Act (24 117 – as a stand-alone document that and community information to better V.S.A. Chapter 117) predates current can be incorporated by reference understand existing conditions and healthy community initiatives, but or appended to the municipal trends. Community health data offers some guidance. State planning plan. Vermont municipalities at the are available from the Vermont goals (§4302) highlight the need forefront of healthy community Department of Health’s District to provide bicycle and pedestrian planning have amended their plans 2IÀFHVDQGWKHGHSDUWPHQW·VZHE paths, and to maintain public access in each of these ways to integrate site. Data relevant to community to outdoor recreation and provide community health considerations: health planning include statistics other recreational opportunities. ‡ Brattleboro – incorporated health pertaining to physical activity, diet and State goals also promote farmland language under each element of its nutrition, weight and obesity, chronic preservation and access to locally municipal plan. disease (diabetes, heart and respiratory grown foods. Municipal plans must ‡ Wolcott– included a separate health GLVHDVHV DQGWUDIÀFUHODWHGLQMXULHV include a “utility and facility plan” that chapter in its town plan. To the extent available, it’s helpful LGHQWLÀHVH[LVWLQJDQGSURSRVHGSXEOLF ‡ Morristown – drafted a supporting to present data for subpopulations recreational facilities, a “transportation “wellness plan” that supplements (e.g., by gender, age and income), to plan” that shows existing and planned the town plan. better target available resources to bicycle paths and trails, and a “land ‡ St. Johnsbury – established its meet the needs of different groups. use plan” that indicates areas planned vision for a healthy community and The Vermont Health Department – for recreation, agriculture, public and then updated its plan to highlight including its 2008 “Fit and Healthy semi-public uses, and reserved open associated goals, objectives and Vermonter’s Status Report” – is a good space (§4382). actions for healthy neighborhoods. source of general baseline information. An important planning The department, in association with consideration is whether public health The Vermont Healthy Community UVM’s Center for Rural Studies issues can be effectively incorporated Design Resource includes example and Vermont’s regional planning municipal plan language and a wealth commissions, has also established of resources to help you get started. an online database of municipal State funding for healthy community The following simple questions facilities and programs: “Inventory of can serve as a guide in planning is available on a competitive Resources Related to Health for Cities evaluating whether existing basis, as funding permits, through and Towns in Vermont.”1 Though not municipal plans support healthy standard sources such as the state’s regularly maintained, this site provides community design: municipal planning, recreation facility, community-based information, and a and recreation trails grant programs, framework for local inventories and x Is there explicit language as well as the Vermont Health connecting the plan element to updates. human health? Department’s “Coordinated Healthy There are a variety of tools x Will the plan increase Activity, Motivation and Prevention available to conduct broad or opportunities for physical activity, Programs” (CHAMPPS). CHAMPPs more targeted community health walking and biking? grants fund community health and assessments – including the Vermont x Does the plan aim to increase wellness initiatives, including action Health Department’s “Community access to fresh healthy food? plans, programs and projects intended Assessment Tool Kit” and the Centers x How could additional health to prevent or manage risk factors language be added? for Disease Control’s “CHANGE x Are actions for implementing the for chronic disease, and to promote Tool” (Community Heath Assessment SODQLGHQWL¿HG" physical activity and healthy eating. and Group Evaluation Tool).2 The

Implementation Manual‡+HDOWK\&RPPXQLW\'HVLJQ‡2012‡ZZZYSLFLQIR VERMONT LAND USE EDUCATION & TRAINING COLLABORATIVE APPENDIX B-2 Vermont Healthy Community strategic plan that complements and described in more detail in the Vermont Design Resource includes a “Healthy implements municipal plan goals, Healthy Community Design Resource and Community Design Assessment policies and recommendations. related implementation manual topic Tool” for use by health advocates and Typically developed in collaboration papers, but are introduced here. SODQQLQJRIÀFLDOVWRPRUHVSHFLÀFDOO\ with community health advocates, inventory and assess a community’s an action plan may target certain existing physical environment, policies groups (seniors, children, low income 6PDUW*URZWK Smart growth is now a generally and programs, budgets and available residents), a particular neighborhood accepted development strategy that resources. The resource guide also or facility (school, workplace), promotes compact, higher density, offers tips for conducting “rapid or facilities or actions to increase pedestrian-friendly, mixed use community audits” – more informal mobility or local access to food development in villages and urban evaluations that may include: (bicycle or pedestrian plan, farm to centers, while preserving productive ‡ An analysis of local land use school action plan). Recent examples farm and forest land in surrounding patterns to see if they promote of note include: rural areas. This development pattern, walking, bicycling and outdoor ‡ “A Great City for Older Adults: established historically and sustained recreation, and access to local food. An Action Plan for Burlington,” through land use regulations and ‡ An update of the town’s recreational prepared by AARP for the targeted infrastructure investments, is inventory to catalog existing Burlington Livable Community consistent with Vermont’s longstanding infrastructure, facilities and 3URMHFW7KLVLQFOXGHVVSHFLÀFDFWLRQ goal “to plan development so as to programs that support physical steps to provide for more housing, maintain the historic settlement pattern activity – including parks, playing mobility, accessibility, and community of compact urban and village centers ÀHOGVDQGWUDLOQHWZRUNV engagement choices as we age. separated by rural countryside” (24 ‡ Walking and bicycling audits to ‡ The Town of Hartford’s “Pedestrian V.S.A. §4302). The intent, from a determine whether it is safe, easy and Bicycle Plan,” which includes a health perspective, is to develop a built and inviting to walk and ride detailed inventory and assessment environment that promotes physical between local neighborhoods and of current conditions, facilities activity in our daily lives – that makes community destinations. and needs, design guidelines and it easy to walk or bike from home ‡ A survey of local producers, food recommendations for bicycle to school, to work, to the park, the outlets and community gardens to parking, school pedestrian and farmer’s market, or the corner store. assess community access to fresh, bicycle access, street and driveway Higher density mixed use development healthy and affordable food. crossings, and public transportation. in village and urban centers offers more ,WDOVRLGHQWLÀHVSULRULW\SURMHFWV options for everyone – for housing,

services, and getting around – while Community Action The projects and programs rural farmland preservation outside of highlighted in an action plan – though Plans these centers supports increased access often targeted to certain groups or A healthy community action to locally produced food. plan or wellness plan is a more IDFLOLWLHV²JHQHUDOO\EHQHÀWWKHHQWLUH targeted, short-term (1 to 5 year) community and make it a healthier, 6PDUW*URZWK6WUDWHJLHV more active place for everyone. These techniques can be used to support smart growth in Senior citizens, children, low- Community Vermont (numbers refer to related income households and people with Implementation Manual topic papers): disabilities have limited options in Strategies choosing their living environments. ‡ Downtown, village center or growth Many healthy community design center designation (#7) To support the well-being of everyone concepts promoted by public health in our community, we need to design ‡ Physical master plan compact, mixed-use communities advocates incorporate long-accepted ‡ Mixed use zoning, smart codes or that integrate safe routes to schools, planning strategies and principles, form-based codes (#6 & #30) parks and access to nutritious food. while others have been less often ‡ Transit-oriented development (#23) When compact development and considered in planning. At the local ‡ ,QÀOOGHYHORSPHQWEURZQÀHOG accessible transportation options level, these include both regulatory redevelopment and adaptive reuse exist in communities, healthy lifestyle strategies designed to direct the choices are easier to make. of historic buildings (#3 & #9) pattern of land use and development, ‡ Traditional neighborhood design, and non-regulatory programs – “Health and Land Use,” VT Natural planned unit or residential Resources Council, Smart Growth Vermont and initiatives to develop needed (clustered) development (#22) Community Planning Toolbox infrastructure and services. Some ‡ Agricultural zoning districts (#19) key design strategies and programs are

Implementation Manual‡+HDOWK\&RPPXQLW\'HVLJQ‡2012‡ZZZYSLFLQIR VERMONT LAND USE EDUCATION & TRAINING COLLABORATIVE APPENDIX B-3 and more accessible and inviting for Centers for Disease Control and Safe Routes to School a pleasant stroll downtown. Good Prevention) or a “livable community” Safe Routes to School (SRTS) design can also re-integrate a street DVPRUHEURDGO\GHÀQHGE\ is a national program to encourage into the fabric and character of the the AARP) involves developing children to walk and bicycle to community, transforming it into a community infrastructure, facilities school. Goals include: vibrant public space. and programs that support physical ‡ ,PSURYLQJELF\FOHWUDI¿FDQG activity and provide opportunities Complete Street Strategies pedestrian safety for social interaction. In addition to ‡ Increasing the number of children These techniques can be used interconnected sidewalk, bicycle and who walk and bike to school, to support complete streets in thereby improving childhood health transit facilities that get people from ‡ Reducing fuel consumption and Vermont (numbers refer to related place to place, these may include parks pollution Implementation Manual topic papers): and green space, playgrounds, trail ‡ Enhancing community accessibility ‡ Complete street design policies and networks, school facilities, and health, and involvement by fostering standards (#25) recreation and cultural programs partnerships ‡ Walking, bicycling and road safety that are accessible to all members of VTrans oversees Vermont’s Safe audits (#2) the community. This also involves Routes to School Program, which ‡ Transit and pedestrian-oriented provides community support for “institutionalizing” active living infrastructure improvements, safety design standards (#2 & #23) principles in municipal planning, policy education, and enforcement of safety ‡ Streetscape design standards (#25) and facility development. Community laws. For more information go to: ‡ 7UDIÀFFDOPLQJWHFKQLTXHV  governing and planning processes www.SafeRoutesVT.org ‡ On-street parking, public and shared should recognize and address the off-street parking, “park-and-walk” multiple impacts of development facilities (#20) and transportation on local residents’ ‡ Density bonuses for desired ‡ School safety programs ability to be physically active and development patterns (#14) ‡ :D\ÀQGLQJSURJUDPV socially involved in their community. ‡ Bicycle parking and storage facilities ‡ Transfers of development rights $FWLYH/LYLQJ6WUDWHJLHV (density transfer) programs (#28) (#2) ‡ Targeted infrastructure investment ‡ Transportation enhancements and These techniques can be programs (e.g., special assessment, infrastructure improvements (#8). used to support active living in WD[LQFUHPHQWÀQDQFLQJGLVWULFWV  Vermont (numbers refer to related (#4 & #8). Implementation Manual topic papers): $FWLYH/LYLQJ ‡ Community recreation centers (#5) Creating an “active community ‡ Community health, exercise and Complete Streets environment” (an initiative of the recreation programs Vermont recently enacted complete streets legislation to promote street rights-of-way that are designed and Active Living Environments EXLOWRUUHWURÀWWHGWRDFFRPPRGDWH Even the Institute for Transportation facilities, multi-use paths and trails, people of all ages and abilities – Engineers (ITE) – long associated parks, open space and recreational including pedestrians, cyclists, transit with auto-oriented engineering design facilities standards – now promotes “active ‡ Promotes policies that encourage riders, seniors, dog walkers and baby OLYLQJ´GH¿QHGDVFRPPXQLW\GHVLJQ mixed use development and buggies – as well as motorists. From that integrates physical activity into connected grid of streets, allowing a community health perspective this GDLO\URXWLQHV8QGHUWKHLUGH¿QLWLRQDQ homes, work, schools, and stores to makes streets safer – by reducing active living environment: be close together and accessible to WUDIÀFUHODWHGLQMXULHVDQGIDWDOLWLHV² ‡ Is walkable pedestrians and bicyclists ‡ Supports, encourages and promotes ‡ Makes being physically active 30 physical activity PLQXWHVDGD\WKUHHWR¿YHWLPHV Active Living is a way of life that ‡ Is designed to support compact a week, easy, convenient, and integrates physical activity into daily development, mixed use, pleasurable. routines. The goal is to accumulate accessibility and public transit at least 30 minutes of activity each ‡ Locates activities of daily living The ITE has developed recommended day. Individuals may do this in a within walking distance along an practices for walkable street design, variety of ways, such as walking or interconnected network of streets, and is a founding member of the Active bicycling (for transportation, exercise, sidewalks and paths, thereby Living Network, a national coalition that or pleasure), playing in the park, increasing incentives to walk rather promotes active-friendly communities working in the yard, taking the stairs, than drive (www.activelivingresources.org). and using recreational facilities. ‡ Has sidewalks, on-street bicycle

Implementation Manual‡+HDOWK\&RPPXQLW\'HVLJQ‡2012‡ZZZYSLFLQIR VERMONT LAND USE EDUCATION & TRAINING COLLABORATIVE APPENDIX B-4 (Chittenden County), as well as its ‡ Farm inventories and directories (#18) The U.S. Department of most rural counties (Franklin, Essex ‡ Farmland access programs Agriculture reports that an and Orleans).3 Vermont’s food deserts (Landlink Vermont) average of 13.6% of Vermonters H[SDQGXQGHURWKHUGHÀQLWLRQV HJ ‡ Community supported agriculture were food insecure from 2007 to distance to a food store), given that (CSAs) 2009 – up from 10.2% in the previous many of us must drive several miles ‡ Local food councils; two year period. Vermont ranks 20th in the nation for the prevalence of to buy groceries. For shut-ins, lower ‡ Community food assessments food insecurity, and third highest in income residents and people without ‡ Community and school gardens; New England after Maine and Rhode cars or access to public transit, getting ‡ Farm to school programs (VT Island. enough healthy food can be a daily FEED) VT Farm to Plate Strategic Plan challenge – resulting in food insecurity ‡ Community -sponsored or (2011 (Appendix D).http://www.vsjf. (the inability to access enough supported farmers markets org/project-details/5/farm-to-plate- affordable, healthy food to meet basic ‡ Local food cooperatives initiative needs) and real hunger. ‡ Institutional buying programs In addition to state and federal favoring local food producers assistance programs, there are a ‡ Gleaning programs, food shelves ‡ Public parks and playgrounds (#8) growing number of community-based and community kitchens ‡ Trail network development (#2) programs designed to both increase ‡ Healthy eating programs and ‡ Public use of school recreation community access to fresh, locally cooking classes facilities produced food, and to support and ‡ Urban farming policies and ‡ Workplace exercise programs expand available markets for local ordinances ‡ Partnerships with local health clubs farmers. As planners this means going ‡ Zoning to preserve farmland (e.g., ‡ Land and easement acquisitions beyond traditional land use planning agricultural districts) and support (purchase of development rights that focuses largely on farmland GLYHUVLÀHGIDUPLQJEXVLQHVVHV and trail easements) (#18). preservation to more comprehensively including agri-tourism and food hub look at other food system development (#19) Healthy Food components. Planners can help ‡ Zoning to allow for corner groceries identify and address local food deserts and country stores and seeking Many Vermonters do not have and food insecurities, opportunities FRPPXQLW\GHYHORSPHQWÀQDQFLQJ ready access to healthy, affordable to support local farmers, and the to support establishment of grocery food. The U.S. Department of need for more food processing and stores where none exist (#30). Agriculture has mapped at least nine distribution facilities and retail outlets. ´IRRGGHVHUWVµLQWKHVWDWH²GHÀQHG as low income census tracts where Healthy Food Strategies Health Impact a substantial share of residents has These techniques can be used to limited access to a supermarket or Assesments support the availability of healthy food grocery store. These include tracts Planners are generally familiar in Vermont (numbers refer to related in the state’s most urban county with the use of impact assessments Implementation Manual topic papers): to evaluate the effects of proposed development on the environment, Burlington Urban Agriculture and distributes local vegetables, fruits, ORFDOWUDIÀFRUDFRPPXQLW\·VÀVFDO Task Force meats, eggs, cheeses and specialty bottom line. Impact assessments can products. Developed by the Intervale The Burlington Urban Agriculture also be used to evaluate the effects of Center, the Food Hub creates a link Task Force was convened in 2011 to a proposed project, policy or program between local farmers and the local address community interest in and marketplace. Its goal is to provide the on community health. A Health concerns about appropriate “urban greater Burlington community with Impact Assessment (HIA) is a rapidly agriculture”. The Task Force mission is convenient access to high quality foods emerging practice used by public to develop a cohesive urban agriculture while returning a fair price to farmers. health practitioners – and increasingly policy and “best practices” guidelines The Food Hub serves individuals, for raising food, keeping livestock, by planners – to objectively evaluate businesses, retailers, restaurants producing compost, and promoting both the positive and negative effects and institutions through a multi-farm agriculture in Burlington, from small of a proposal on community health. Community Supported Agriculture greenbelt plots to large commercial (CSA) program and through wholesale Use of a HIA as a standard practice farms in the Burlington Intervale. marketing and distribution (http://www. in the review of larger projects – such intervale.org/programs/agricultural_ as the siting of a school, grocery store Intervale Food Hub development/food_hub.shtml). or housing development – provides The Intervale Food Hub markets the means to consider and continually evaluate community health outcomes

Implementation Manual‡+HDOWK\&RPPXQLW\'HVLJQ‡2012‡ZZZYSLFLQIR VERMONT LAND USE EDUCATION & TRAINING COLLABORATIVE APPENDIX B-5 Health Impact Assessments: mitigate negative health effects, An Emerging Planning Tool ‡ Reporting – presenting the results of the analyses to decision makers, and A variety of Health Impact ‡ Evaluation – evaluating the affect of Assessment tools are available – the HIA on the decision process and ranging from simple checklists to more outcome. comprehensive analyses and studies, but most HIAs involve the following The American Planning Association, steps: in association with the National ‡ Screening – determining those Association of County and City Health policies or projects where HIAs 2I¿FLDOVDQGWKH&HQWHUVIRU'LVHDVH would be useful, Control and Prevention, has developed ‡ Scoping – identifying health effects “Planning for Healthy Places with and groups to be considered, Health Impact Assessments” – an ‡ Assessment – assessing the health on-line training course on how to ULVNVDQGEHQH¿WVWRDIIHFWHGJURXSV conduct health impact assessments ‡ Recommendations – providing (http://professional.captus.com/ alternatives to promote positive or Planning/hia2/toc.aspx). in both the planning and development and social services, income and poverty review process. The “Healthy levels, and health equity issues. Community Design Community Community health, though long a Assessment Tool” provided in the founding principle of local planning Health Department’s Vermont and land use regulation, in its Healthy Community Design Resource contemporary context is a relatively can be adapted for use as a Health QHZÀHOGIRUSODQQHUV,W·VHVSHFLDOO\ Impact Assessment tool, as applied to important that those with critical proposed development projects. expertise are included and actively involved in the planning process, including: Considerations ‡ public health advocates and health There are many considerations in care providers planning for healthy communities – ‡ local schools and worksites including the type of community, the ‡ Vermont Health Department range of factors that contribute to GLVWULFWRIÀFHVWDII or affect community health, and the ‡ hospital community teams availability of partners and resources. ‡ community health partnerships and Rural towns with limited development organizations, and infrastructure may focus on farmland, ‡ other agencies or groups that serve food supply and food security issues, local interests while more urban communities may look to developing safe walking and There’s much we have in common bicycling routes – but all communities in how we think about and look at can come up with strategies that our communities; there’s also much DGGUHVVDIXOOUDQJHRI ORFDOO\LGHQWLÀHG we can learn from each other through community health needs. In addition stronger collaboration. A broad to active living and access to nutritious, group of allies and partners – and local food, these may include health leadership from local public health considerations tied to local water champions – is critical for effective and air quality, housing and living community health assessment, conditions, the availability of medical outreach and action.

1. http://crs.uvm.edu/townhealthresources/ 2. http://healthvermont.gov/local/grants/documents/CommunityAssessmentToolkit.pdf; http://www.cdc.gov/healthycommunitiesprogram/tools/change.htm 3. USDA Food Desert Locator (http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/fooddesert/) Implementation Manual‡+HDOWK\&RPPXQLW\'HVLJQ‡2012‡ZZZYSLFLQIR VERMONT LAND USE EDUCATION & TRAINING COLLABORATIVE APPENDIX B-6