Transportation Planning and Public Health
Decatur Uses Health Impact Assessment to Promote Walkable Plan
Decatur, Georgia, is a small city located cheek-by-jowl with Atlanta and is densely populated. Its growth through the mid-twentieth century was dictated by car culture. Office buildings and shopping centers surrounded by acres of parking were the norm. Traffic crossed through on its way to Atlanta. Streets were impassable to pedestrians, and fast moving traffic made them dangerous for bicyclists.
When the opportunity arose to redevelop 1960s office buildings surrounded by swaths of parking lots, city planners seized on it to promote a more walkable, bikeable, and liveable plan. Decatur Commissioner Fred Boykin and Planning Director Amanda Thompson presented their case study at the National Center for Bicycling and Walking 2008 Pro Walk/Pro Bike conference in Seattle.
The Result of a Twenty-Year Plan
Today, Decatur is a model of economic and residential success. A complete streets policy – streets that accommodate all people whether they choose to use motor vehicles, bicycles, or pedestrian modes – was employed to ensure equitable access to thoroughfares. Green plants are coloring in the formerly gray cityscape. The Safe Routes to School program is successful. Narrow intersections and bold crosswalks have eliminated drive-through traffic that endangers pedestrian flow.
The Mayor convinced property owners to give up on-street parking and replace it with pedestrian seating. Business owners who had been very resistant to the proposed changes are now bullish about the positive impact of the pedestrians on their trade. In the last five years a tremendous amount of pedestrian traffic has popped up and Decatur is the only place in metro Atlanta where you can walk to all of your daily needs.
National Center for Bicycling and Walking Session Planted the Seed
Decatur planners went to a Pro Walk/Pro Bike conference several years ago, where they learned about the Active Living movement which links land-use planning and car-centered lifestyles with the fact that people exercise less and are less healthy. As waistlines expand, so do chronic health conditions including heart disease and diabetes. The Active Living movement recommends that daily routines be altered to incorporate more movement.
Complete streets that make walking and bicycling safe and viable options are a recommended change that leads to a healthier population. Complete streets ensure equitability of transportation no matter where you live or if you drive. They are a community health plan.
Bringing It Home
Decatur held kickoff events, stakeholders meetings, small group meetings, and topic workshops to include City hall, the elderly, school children, bicyclists, and all citizens. Public comments were solicited and random samples were surveyed. The result was support for a complete street policy and intersection improvement. A community vision rooted in the Active Living movement supported a safe and efficient transportation system that promoted health.
Afterwards, the community vision was compared to county ordinances. Adjustments were made, such as adopting a bicycle parking ordinance. A street typology compared land use and transportation type. A latent demand study showed demand for alternative transportation to schools, parks, employment, and shopping and identified gaps in the existing system. Consultants provided language that engineers could use to discuss pedestrian level of service in the same way that they discuss vehicle level of service. These activities helped planners prioritize the fulfillment of the vision.
Everything was framed by Active Living principles. Most importantly for the Decatur plan, a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) conducted by the Georgia Tech Center for Quality Growth was employed to measure how the redevelopment would affect public health. It assessed the needs of sensitive populations such as the poor and children, who are disproportionately impacted by car-centric transportation. The HIA brought together the advocates for helmets and sidewalks and professionals with specialized knowledge to identify impacts and make recommendations.
The Bottom Line
It was difficult for anyone to say no to a plan that would improve the health and wellbeing of the community’s citizens. Health was a consensus builder. While more activity becomes routine there, slower traffic and narrower streets lead to fewer crashes with pedestrians and cyclists.
The health framework allowed planners and redevelopers to ask, “What’s more important?” They raised awareness of the health impact of our car culture, provided scientific and valid proof, and were neutral and transparent.
An Active Living division was created in the city's Parks and Recreation department. They educate citizens and market active living. The dedicated staff ensures that all aspects of the city operation supports active living.
Active Living Study at NCBW 2008 Pro Walk/Pro Bike
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