Fremantle, Western Australia Ann Forsyth Version 1.1

DESIGN FOR HEALTH Metropolitan Design Center | February 2007 Case Study: Fremantle, Western Australia Ann Forsyth Version 1.1 DESIGN FOR HEALTH is a collaboration between the Metropolitan Design Center at the University of Minnesota and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota that serves to bridge the gap between the emerging research base on community design and healthy living with the every-day realities of local government planning. Case Study: Fremantle, Western Australia Metropolitan Design Center 1 Rapson Hall 89 Church Street Minneapolis, MN 55455 612.625.9000 www.designcenter.umn.edu © 2007 Metroplitan Design Center College of Design University of Minnesota Permission is granted for nonprofi t education purposes for reproduction of all or part of written material or images, except that reprinted with permission from other sources. Acknowledgment is required and the Design Center requests two copies of any material thus produced. The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation. Design for Health is collaboration between the Metropolitan Design Center at the University of Minnesota and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. The following people were involved in the development of the Case Study Series: Contributors: Dr. Ann Forsyth, Dr. Kevin Krizek, Dr. Carissa Schively, Laura Baum, Amanda Johnson, Aly Pennucci, Copy Editor: Bonnie Hayskar Layout Designers: Anna Christiansen, Tom Hilde, Kristin Raab, Jorge Salcedo, Katie Thering, Luke Van Sistine Website Managers: Whitney Parks, Joanne Richardson Suggested Citation: Design for Health. 2007. Case Study: Fremantle, Western Australia. Version 1.1. www. designforhealth.net Design for Health 2 www.designforhealth.net Case Study: Fremantle, Western Australia Introduction Key Players & Policy Framework Design for Health has issued a series of case Fremantle is a major commercial port city on studies to explore the emerging trend of the edge of the Indian Ocean in the southwest incorporating public health into comprehensive corner of Australia (City of Fremantle 2006a). planning. The second of these case studies is It is located in the metropolitan area of Perth the City of Fremantle (Fremantle) in Western and contains the largest metropolitan retail Australia. Like King County, Washington (see center outside of the central city of Perth. The case 1), the Fremantle case primarily focuses city and its surrounding communities account on integrating one critical dimension of public for approximately 200,000 residents (City of health—physical activity—into its planning Fremantle 2006a). Fremantle is part of the framework. “rapidly expanding southwest urban corridor, which is now the fastest-growing region in the This case study has three objectives. It: metropolitan area”and the city itself covers an • identifi es the regulatory framework and key area of 18.7 square kilometers and has 28 km of players in linking planning and health in river foreshore and coastline” (City of Fremantle Fremantle, 2001). The suburbs in the municipality are • outlines the approach that Fremantle uses Fremantle, North Fremantle, South Fremantle, to prioritize health within its planning White Gum Valley, Hilton, Beaconsfi eld, framework, and O’Connor, and Samson. • offers insights for other communities seeking to model a planning approach based on Fremantle’s efforts to link the built environment Fremantle. and public health were spurred by physical activity mandates at the executive level in the This case study is informed by research done State government. This top-down approach by the Design for Health team. The team has resulted in the gathering of resources and developed a series of documents for planners cross-departmental expertise that aided local that discusses varying approaches to integrating communities in pursuing policy change, health into comprehensive planning and helps educational programs and plan implementation. sort out evidence-based research from common The key players are: misconceptions about health and planning. These • Department of Premiere and Cabinet documents include: (executive level) • Information Sheet Series • Premier Dr. Geoff Gallop • Key Questions Series • Physical Activity Taskforce (PATF) • Health Impact Assessment • City of Fremantle (municipal level) • Technical Assistance Library • Urban Management • Community Services These materials are available at www.designforhealth.net. Their involvement is more fully explored below. Overall, the Fremantle case shows how a city Executive Level can take a multifaceted approach to increasing physical activity. While it uses physical planning In June 2001, State Premier Dr. Geoff Gallop strategies to increase options, it also provides (equivalent to a United States governor) created programming support for walking and biking the Premier’s Physical Activity Taskforce (PATF), (e.g., a free bike program, a 10,000-steps an advisory group, in response to growing health program). concerns about obesity. PATF was charged with developing a physical activity plan for the State of Western Australia (PATF 2006a). Design for Health 3 www.designforhealth.net Case Study: Fremantle, Western Australia In October 2001, PATF released the strategic • Contribute to the development of the Physical direction report “Getting Western Australians Activity Strategy for Western Australia 2002 More Active.” Its goal was to increase the number - 2011. of people who participate in enough physical • Develop recommendations, models of best activity to experience a health benefi t by 5 percent practices and evaluation models relevant from 58 percent to 63 percent over 10 years (PATF to local and State government, for PATF 2006b). The rationale for this initiative included consideration. the following points (PATF 2006b): • Implement strategies that will enhance and build on the physical activity progress already 1.The lack of physical activity is the second made by local government. leading contributor to the overall burden of • Implement strategies with local government disease among Australians. that will showcase a coordinated approach 2.The costs attributable to the six major diseases to the development and implementation of (heart disease, stroke, non-insulin diabetes, a physical activity strategy across Western colon cancer, breast cancer, and depression Australia. disorders) due to physical inactivity is $36 • Promote strategies that encourage local million a year in Western Australia. government to incorporate physical activity 3.Lack of physical activity is also a major cause into their strategic planning and budgetary leading to an epidemic of overweight and processes. obesity, with more than half of Australians now considered overweight or obese. As mentioned above, one of their goals was to develop a series of best practices The development of PATF was in response to for local governments. In conjunction with research conducted by the Western Australia the participation of 10 local government State Department of Sport and Recreation, the representatives (including a planning Western Australia State Department of Health representative from Fremantle), some of the and the University of Australia that explored following best practices were identifi ed (PATF decreasing involvement in physical activity by 2003, 5): Western Australians (PATF 2006b). Taskforce • having government leadership that supports representatives included senior offi cials from “a multi-action approach that is aimed the Departments of the Premier and Cabinet; at short- and long-term impacts through Education; Health; Planning and Infrastructure; cross government coordination, workforce Sport and Recreation; the Western Australian development, community involvement, Local Government Association; Healthway, a overarching communication and evaluation statutory body started under the Tobacco Control strategies, and regional involvement;” Act 1990 that funds health-related activities; • implementing strategies that build on existing Lotterywest, which is a State lottery that raises physical activity initiatives on the local level; funds to support nonprofi t organizations; an and academic and a community representative. • implementing coordinated strategies with local government across Western Australia. The taskforce is structured into three working groups: communications, evaluation and This working group also created a series of monitoring and local government, where each web-based resources that communities can advises on its respective areas of expertise (PATF access, including: case studies (reports on 2006a). For the purposes on this case study, it is local government programs), “how to” guides important to note that senior representation from (includes checklists for such programs as the Department of Planning and Infrastructure walking groups), and fact sheets (details existing sat on two of three working groups: evaluation programs like Active Transport, TravelSmart and monitoring and local government (PATF School, etc.). In addition, it programs events and 2006a). The local government group was charged provides matching grants to local governments with the following responsibilities (PATF 2006a): for amounts between $5000 and $30,000. Design for Health 4 www.designforhealth.net Case Study: Fremantle, Western Australia

Load more