“When communities are built for all of us and with all of us in mind, nobody gets left out.”
“When communities are built for all of us and with all of us in mind, nobody gets left out.”
The Walkability Action Institute (WAI) is an annual multi-day “course” for interdisciplinary teams comprising public health, transportation, planning, elected officials, and other disciplines. Healthy Places by Design participated as WAI faculty and co-facilitated the WAI Community of Practice (CoP). The CoP is a peer learning and exchange network of WAI alumni that builds their capacity to implement policy, systems, and environmental changes to make communities more walkable. In addition, our team co-designed, drafted, and finalized the Active Community Tool that communities can use to assess local built environment, planning, and policy supports for physical activity.
The WAI training is a critical component of CDC’s efforts to increase walkability. The trainings include walking audits, discussion sessions with peers, capacity building, and workshops with leaders in the walkability movement, like Mark Fenton and others. Each WAI team formalizes what they learn by creating a detailed action plan for their community. In many cases, these action plans help drive positive change in regional transportation systems to support safety, health, and equity. To complement these efforts, Healthy Places by Design co-facilitated calls with NACDD staff to create opportunities for additional peer learning. This Community of Practice serves as an opportunity to focus on specific walkability topics, share resources, and address local challenges.
KARMA HARRIS
Public Health Consultant, NACDD, Walkability and Healthy Communities Lead