Healthy Communities

Healthy Communities Research has shown that traffic congestion and poorly designed neighborhoods and streets can lead to injury, poor air quality and physical inactivity. Communities that consider health as a key component to land use decisions have the following six key ingredients.

Six Key Ingredients to a Healthy Community

  • Village Centers1. Village Centers
    Village centers can be the social and economic heart of a city. They are also referred to as mixed-use areas. They include housing and can provide a variety of services such as shopping, office spaces, plazas, and restaurants. Village centers are centrally located and they create an environment that is pedestrian friendly which allows people to incorporate physical activity into their daily routine.
  • Affordabel Housing2. Affordable Housing
    Housing development that grows outward, forces families to move far away from jobs, schools, and other services. Healthy communities should have housing that is reasonably priced and is centrally located, near village centers.
  • Centrally Located Schools3. Centrally Located Schools
    Rising rates of childhood obesity have been linked to a decrease in physical activity among youth of all ages. Centrally located schools with streets that are designed for safe walking and biking create great opportunities for kids to be active daily and feel secure in their neighborhood.
  • Sundial Bridge4. Public Space
    The Sundial Bridge, Frontier Senior Center, and Margaret Polf Park are just a few examples of the different types of public spaces one can find in Shasta County. Public spaces allow for friends and family to gather for events, get physical activity, and have a sense of pride in their community.
  • River Trail5. Green Space
    Parks, trails, forests, meadows, wetlands, agricultural lands, and any open space is considered green space. These green spaces provide community members an opportunity for recreation and relaxation and we are fortunate in Shasta County to have a considerable amount available to us. As our community continues to grow, it will be important to preserve these unique natural resources that benefit our health and symbolize our county.
  • Bike Lane6. Alternative Transportation
    In order for community members to become less dependant on the automobile for their transportation, we as a community need to offer Shasta County citizens a choice in their transportation needs. The healthiest option for a community is to design streets that are safe and accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists. This includes streets that incorporate bike lanes, continuous side walks and are connected to everyday services.

Six Key Ingredients to a Healthy Community (Movie)

Get Involvedtop ↑

Walkability Checklist Tool
A “walkable” community is one that is safe, convenient, and pleasant for walking. More people walk for both recreation and transportation when a community is walkable – which helps improve fitness, health, air quality, and creates a greater sense of community.

How walkable is your community?
Print the checklist. Pick a destination to walk to, such as the route to school or work, a friend’s house, the park or someplace else. Take the checklist on your walk as a tool to identify barriers to walking as well as features that encourage walking. Refer to the checklist for specific ideas on how you can be an action hero by taking steps to improve the walkability of your community.

Walkability Checklist (PDF: 188kb)

For more information, contact us at 530-229-8243 or Shasta County Public Health at 530-225-5192.

More ways to get involved:

  • Shasta Land Trust - A non-profit organization committed to preserving and protecting open space, wildlife habitat, and agricultural land.
  • Trails & Bikeways Council of Greater Redding - A non-profit organization made up of local citizens who believe that the existence of regional trails and bikeways benefits the health of residents, the safety of non-motorized commuters, the enjoyment of all users and the economy of the whole region.
  • City of Redding - For inquiries or repair requests for street, traffic, or storm drain related problems.

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For more information, contact us at 229-8243 or Healthy Communities of Shasta County Public Health at 225-5192.

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  • 2660 Breslauer Way
  • Redding, CA 96001
  • Phone: 530-229-8243
  • Fax: 530-229-8460