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
View the Healthy Shasta 'Six Key Ingredients to a Healthy Community Video' below:
(This video requires Quicktime Player to be installed on your computer)
Download High Resolution Version (61.5 MB avi)
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
Walking & Biking
Healthy Shasta is committed to working with local communities to make walking and bicycling easier, safer, more convenient, and inviting for both transportation and recreation!
National Walkability Expert Mark Fenton Coming in May!
Healthy Shasta is pleased to bring Mark Fenton to Shasta County in May! Please contact us at 245-6457 or 229-8243 for more information about Mark Fenton's visit.
About Mark Fenton:
Mark Fenton is a high-energy and entertaining author and national consultant. He worked with the University of South Carolina’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center to develop the national Safe Routes to School curriculum and is a Walkable Community Workshop facilitator with the National Center for Walking and Bicycling. With engineering degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and experience with communities across the nation, Fenton provides innovative solutions to create more walkable and bikable settings.
FREE Healthy Community Design & Walkability Workshop with Mark Fenton
May 6th, 5:30-7:30 pm
Join us for an insightful 'walkabout' on the streets of Redding. Then move inside for an engaging and entertaining discussion about creating an environment that is inviting, convenient, and safe for pedestrians and bicyclists. Shasta College Health Sciences & University Center - meet outside at corner of Market and Tehama at 5:30 pm for walkabout or 6 pm in Room 8220.
Walkability Workshop Flier (PDF: 388kb)
FREE Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Workshop with Mark Fenton
May 7th, 2-4:30 pm (RSVP by April 23rd)
This interactive workshop will cover best practices and creative models for getting more kids safely walking and biking to school more often! Learn about new local SRTS resources and about utilizing the 5E's (education, engineering, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation). Attend as an individual or bring a team from your school. Possible team members include school administration, teachers, parents, crossing guards, transportation or facility staff and community volunteers. Teams are encouraged to submit photos of arrival or dismissal at their school (you’ll receive more details when you register). Fenton helped develop the national Safe Routes to School curriculum. Workshop will be held at Shasta Lake School. RSVP by April 23rd at 245-6457.
Safe Routes to School Workshop Flier (PDF: 617kb)
Walkability Resources
Walking Guides and Maps »
Local Walking Groups »
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.
Resourcestop ↑
- America Walks
- Smart Growth Online
- Walkable Communities
- Complete the Streets
- The National Center for Bicycling & Walking
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center
- How Can I Find and Help Build a Walkable Community? By Dan Burden (PDF: 478kb)
- Resident's Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities
For more information, contact us at 229-8243 or Healthy Communities of Shasta County Public Health at 225-5192.
