September 8 — Bike to a conference on “Balanced transportation for Healthier Communities”
Health by Design is an emerging movement in Central Indiana to bring together advocates of community design, transportation and health to support healthy and active living.
When: Monday September 8
Where: Hyatt Regency 1 South Capital Ave., Indianapolis 46204
This is from Health by Design’s website:
Since World War II, physical activity has been engineered out of many parts of American life. From elevators and drive-thru restaurants to cul-de-sac suburbs and strip malls, we have become increasingly sedentary. Currently, more than one in four Americans get no activity at all in an average day. Not surprisingly, rates of obesity and related health problems have skyrocketed during the same time period.
The Health by Design coalition, an Alliance for Health Promotion initiative, was created building on the science of Active Living by Design to find creative approaches for integrating physical activity into Hoosiers’ lives. Rather than solely addressing obesity as an individual health problem, the coalition work focuses on how the built environment — including neighborhoods, transportation systems, buildings, parks and open space — can promote more active lives.
Health by Design is composed of leaders in diverse professions such as urban planning, architecture, transportation planning, education, environment and public health. Together we will work to identify opportunities for coordinated action and to promote activity-friendly environments in cities, schools, workplaces and neighborhoods.
The conference will have at least three big themes:
• Mass Transit: Three cities’ experience
• Changing Street Design through Complete Streets
• Economic burden of physical inactivity
Why does Provocate think you should attend this event?
We are facing a perfect storm of crises that could stimulate new ways of thinking about how we live: energy, carbon-based economy and human-induced climate change, redesign of cities and suburbs, health care … good time for a conference like this, if it is designed as well as the conference organizers believe cities should be designed.
If you think this sounds interesting, be sure to check out …
Several other related discussions, workshops and conferences are coming up … what is envisioned — what is needed — is so big, we will need to absorb it all in pieces:
- → September 13 — Attend a workshop on “Environmental Concerns for Kids”
- → October 16 — October 16 — A community forum with environmental justice activist Majora Carter
- → October 29 — HEC’s Alexandra Eakes discusses recycling and other environmental issues
- → November 13 — Another view of Charlotte from Lee Keesler
- → December 12 — Alice Waters on Slow Food and edible schoolyards
Know before you go:
A preliminary conference agenda has just been released, it looks fascinating:
Monday, September 8, 20088:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Draft Agenda
8:30 Opening
8:40 Introductory Presentation: Topic: Economic Costs of Physical Inactivity
Speaker: Dr. Jay Arekere
Session will provide an analysis of the costs of health care due to conditions associated with physical inactivity.
9:15 Keynote: Moving from Car Dependent to Balanced Transportation
Speaker: Walter Kulash
A historical perspective of how the U.S. transportation system evolved in the 20th century and what will be necessary to sustain a paradigm change through the 21st century will be presented.
Break
10:15 Mini-Panel: Complete Streets Policy
Speaker: Randy Neufeld to provide overview and national scan; Illinois/Chicago story; lead interactive discussion
Speaker: Dirk Gowin of Louisville to provide illustration on Louisville’s expansion of bike infrastructure
Along with an overview of the content and current national, state, and local consideration of Complete Streets policies, there will be an interactive discussion of nuts and bolts of implementing complete streets.
11:45 Lunch – Awards
Influencing Funding Policy
Presentation by HEC director Jesse Kharbanda
1:00 Afternoon Keynote Multi-Modal Transportation System…A Case Study
Speaker: Anthony Foxx, Charlotte, North Carolina City Council Transportation Committee.
Will discuss how visionary leadership led to a substantial increase in viable transportation options including a connected sidewalk system, many new miles of bike lanes, and the development of a light rail system.
1:30 Panel: Mass Transit Systems Panel
Speaker: Anthony Foxx, Charlotte, North Carolina City Council
Speaker: Thomas Shrout, Executive Director, Citizens for Modern Transit, St. Louis
Speaker: Dan Lamers, Senior Program Manager, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Dallas/Fort Worth
Speakers will illustrate the transportation system in their region and address how public support was created and advanced to enable the development of these new mass transit options.
3:00-3:15 p.m. BREAK (15 minutes)
3:30 Cultural Trail Physical Activity Opportunities
And for your listening pleasure …
