When we think about sustaining healthy community change, it can feel a bit like running on a treadmill. It’s hard and, no matter how high we turn up the speed, it can feel like we’re not making any progress. Sometimes it seems futile, especially if we focus on sustaining individual projects rather than whole communities […]
One of the many privileges of being part of the Active Living By Design (ALBD) team is forming long-standing relationships with community partners, learning from their experiences, and celebrating their successes. During a recent visit to Buffalo, New York, I re-connected with partners and saw first-hand how they have grown and sustained a thriving, healthy […]
Whether we’re nonprofit leaders, government agency directors, coalition partners, consultants, or local advocates, most of us who work in the healthy communities field cobble together our annual budgets from a variety of sources: Endowment income and unrestricted revenue, if we’re lucky. Multi-year grants, on occasion. Contracts and line item budget allocations, in a good year. […]
Over the past 14 years, Active Living By Design (ALBD) has collaborated with amazing professionals and change agents who are talented and committed organizers of healthy community initiatives. Typically, our connection formed because we provided coaching and technical assistance to dozens of partnerships and project directors supported by a variety of multi-year grants. In the course […]
Active Living By Design is about to launch a fresh model for community-driven change to reflect the evolution of our field’s growth. It reminds me of how far we’ve come. Early in my career, I was talked into wearing a Minnie Mouse costume at a health fair hosted by the local health department. My small […]
The holiday season is a time of traditions. Across families, cultures and beliefs, customs connect us to one another and the past. They can provide a sense of comfort and are often unquestioned over generations. Yet there are times when holding on to what once worked no longer serves the original, well-intended purpose, and […]
At one time or another, almost all of us pledge to be healthier. Eat better, exercise regularly or sleep more. But as we all know, sustaining these efforts over the long-term can prove challenging. At the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), we’ve made our own pledge: to build a Culture of Health in America so […]
As more governments, organizations and decision makers recognize how the built environment impacts health and quality of life, curiosity about how to incorporate sustainable community design has grown. Daniel Rodriguez has been a part of these conversations, both as a transportation planner and a community member. He currently serves as Director at the Center for […]
Advocates across many disciplines and with differing viewpoints agree that our food system is broken. But with pervasive problems in every link of that system, there is less agreement about how to fix it, or even what the biggest problem is. Here are just a few of the most common complaints: “Farming is not profitable […]
I recently had the privilege of attending the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)’s kick-off meeting to announce its new $500 million investment to help all children grow up at a healthy weight. This investment will focus on changing policies in school and community environments through 2025 by supporting research, action and advocacy strategies. In 2007, […]