Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . I CHAPTER 1: A PRIMER ON INFLUENCING POLICY DECISIONS . 1 The Guiding Principle of the Healthy Communities Tool Kit . 1 Policy and Environmental Change Interventions. 1 Working with Elected Offi cials and Decision-makers…Where in the World do you Begin? 2 The Necessary Groundwork. 2 Be Informed . 3 Lobbying v. Advocacy . 5 Four Models of Advocacy . 6 CHAPTER 2: COMMUNITY DESIGN AND PUBLIC HEALTH . 9 Working Together to Create Healthy Communities. 9 History in the Making. 9 Walking and Biking in America . 10 Increasing Physical Activity . 11 Collateral Benefi ts of Improving Walkability and Bikeablity . 11 Improving a Community’s Ability to Eat Healthy . 12 Why Is Healthy Eating Important? . 12 The Potential Effect of Policies. 13 The Potential Within Environmental Changes . 14 Community Greening . 14 Farmers’ Markets . 14 Overview of Tobacco Control in Michigan . 15 The Facts About Tobacco Use in Michigan and Our Communities. 15 Tobacco-Control Movement—A Brief History. 16 Social Capital . 17 CHAPTER 3: WHO’S WHO AND WHAT’S WHAT . 19 Local and Regional Planning Resources . 19 Village, Township, or City . 19 County Government . 20 Metropolitan Planning Organizations . 20 Rural Task Forces . 20 Regional Councils of Government (COGs) . 21 Local Community Health Coalitions and Community Tobacco-Reduction Coalitions . 21 Worksheets to Help . 21 Who Makes the Decisions in Your Community? Worksheet. 21 When Do Meetings Take Place Worksheet . 22 Informal Leaders Worksheet . 23 Getting to Know Each Other—A Public Health Practitioner Interviews a Town Planner . 23 Planning and Policy . 23 Local Involvement . 24 Sidewalks and Bike Lanes. 25 Smoke-free Bike Lanes and Other Recreational Areas . 26 Introducing the Michigan Department of Transportation. 26 National Movements—Think Globally, Work Locally . 27 CHAPTER 4: WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY . 29 Land Use Planning in Michigan . 29 Land Use Planning Intervention Points . 30 Visioning and Goal-Setting . 30 Plans and Planning . 31 Implementation Mechanisms . 32 Site Design and Project Review . 33 Special Requirements . 33 Public Facility Siting Decisions . 34 A Final Word on the Five Intervention Points . 34 Policy Statements for Land Use Planning . 34 Transportation Planning . 35 Urban Areas . 37 Non-urban Areas . 37 All Communities . 37 Summary for Infl uencing the STIP Process. 38 Michigan Long-Range Transportation Goals for 2000-2025 . 38 Policy Statements for Multimodal Transportation Plans . 39 Developing a Local Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan . 41 Process. 41 Funding for Bicycle or Pedestrian Projects . 42 Six Funding Strategies in Michigan . 42 Funding Sources for Non-Motorized Transportation and Trails . 43 CHAPTER 5: WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY . 47 Models for Successful Community Participation . 47 Neighborhoods. 47 Building and Maintaining a Healthy-Community Coalition . 48 What is a Coalition?. 48 Why Start a Coalition (and Why Might it be Diffi cult)? . 49 Barriers to Starting a Coalition . 49 When Should you Develop a Coalition?. 50 Who Should be Part of a Coalition? . 51 How Do You Start a Community Coalition?. 52 To Sum Up. ..