Urban
and suburban areas
that are designed to
encourage people to
walk or bike as part
of their daily routine
are good for public
health. They make it
easy for people to
be active and physically
fit, reducing obesity-related
ailments such as diabetes
and heart disease.
Asthma, a serious respiratory
condition linked to
vehicle exhaust, has
become an epidemic
in recent years. In
2005, 8 percent of
New Jersey's adult
population and 12 percent
of our children
Healthy streets encourage
people to get out
of their cars.
were
diagnosed with Asthma. Fewer
cars on the roads means less
vehicle exhaust, cleaner
air and fewer asthma attacks
in children. Through NJFIT, New
Jersey Department of Transportation
(NJDOT) is moving ahead with
a transportation network
that promotes the health
of New Jersey residents.
"Recent
studies using objective
measures of total
physical activity
have found that
residents of high-walkable
neighborhoods get
one hour more of
physical activity
each week and are
2.4 times more
likely to meet physical
activity recommendations
than residents
of low-walkable neighborhoods." The
Future of Children:
A Collaboration
of the Woodrow Wilson
School of Public
and International
Affairs at Princeton
University and
the Brookings Institution.
Promoting
public health through physical
activity
More than half of all New
Jersey residents are overweight
or obese, and are more
likely than the average
American to suffer from
diabetes and heart disease
- two ailments related
to being overweight. The
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) recognizes
that the design of communities,
neighborhoods and transportation
networks has an effect
on people's ability to
include physical activity
into their daily routines.
A transportation network
that encourages people
to get out of their cars
and bike or walk supports
people's need to stay active.
Several studies
have taken a closer look
at the relationship between
community design, transportation
and public health. Studies
show that people who live
in areas marked by sprawling
development are likely
to walk less, weigh more
and suffer from chronic
health problems such as
high blood pressure, arthritis,
headaches and breathing
difficulties than people
who live in less sprawling
areas.
A
study conducted by
the CDC during the
1996 Atlanta Olympic
Games showed that
providing more transportation
choices and other
traffic control measures
reduced traffic 22
percent, air pollution
28 percent and asthma
attacks up to 42
percent in children.
The
Tools and Case Studies
best associated with
the
Healthy Streets and
Communities FITness goal
is listed below in the
drop down boxes. Achieving
this goal is possible
through the application
of various tools and programs.
