Built Environment

Mission:

The mission of the Built Environment Workgroup was to develop a plan to improve policies and environments related to transportation, land use planning and community design.  The overarching purpose of these plans was to increase opportunities for physical activity and, to some extent, healthy eating.  The group was also tasked with identifying and engaging a variety of public and private stakeholders to carry out the objectives over the next 10 years.

Context: 

Montana is a large state geographically.  The population density is low, especially in the eastern plains, where there may only be two or three residents per square mile.  In addition, the state comprises seven American Indian reservations.  There is a need to translate the emerging body of knowledge linking the built environment to health outcomes in general, and to physical activity in particular, to frontier and tribal communities

 

Ten Year Vision:

By 2020:

Montana communities will offer ample safe and convenient access to opportunities for recreation and active transportation (walking, biking, public transit), and residents will use these opportunities regularly to engage in physical activity. This vision, and the objectives and goals listed below, will specifically support the following Healthy People 2020 Objectives:

PAF HP2020–1: Reduce the proportion of adults who engage in no leisure-time physical activity.

PAF HP2020–10: Increase the proportion of trips made by walking.

PAF HP2020–11: Increase the proportion of trips made by bicycling.

NWS HP2020–6: Increase the contribution of fruits to the diets of the population aged 2 years and older.

NWS HP2020–7: Increase the variety and contribution of vegetables to the diets of the population aged 2 years and older.

 

Two Year Objectives:

By 12/12:

1. Offer at least one educational session addressing the link between health and the built environment to Montana architects. 
Who:  MT American Institute of Architects
Behavior: ↑FV ↑PA

2. Provide at least one educational session addressing the link between health and the built environment to Montana elected officials and city administrators.
Who:  MT League of Cities and Towns, Montana Association of Counties
Behavior: ↑FV ↑PA

3. Develop a regional training curriculum and assemble a multidisciplinary team to build the capacity of small cities and towns and, as appropriate, tribal communities on policy and environmental approaches to creating built environments that support safe, healthy and sustainable communities.
Who:  NAPA, MT SRTS Program, Sonoran Institute, Department of Commerce Community Technical Assistance Program, Montana Smart Growth Coalition, Department of Environmental Quality, Western Transportation Institute, MSU Local Government Center, others
Behavior: ↑FV ↑PA

4. Develop and disseminate a model “complete streets” policy for small cities and towns in Montana.
Who: NAPA, Built Environment Workgroup and Rural/Frontier Sub-Workgroup

5. Create persuasive educational and social marketing materials directed at the private sector (developers, realtors, lenders) using Montana and national data to make the economic, social and environmental “case” for promoting, building and funding healthy sustainable developments.
Who:  (NAPA, Southwest Montana Home Builders Association, Sonoran Institute, MSU School of Architecture
Behavior: ↑FV ↑PA

6. Showcase and recognize model projects and share “lessons learned” about successful healthy sustainable development (including public projects) by producing a second “Building from the Best of the Northern Rockies” publication and through recognition in a variety of other ways (e.g., recognition from Montana AIA through their Livable Community Award program).
Who:  MSU School of Architecture, Montana AIA, Sonoran Institute, Montana Green Building Council
Behavior: ↑FV ↑PA

7. Mini-grants of up to $5,000 will be provided to support initiation of one or more five year goals.
Who:  NAPA
Behavior: ↑FV ↑PA

 

Five Year Goals:

By 12/16:

  1. Five Year Goals:

    By 12/16:

    1. Establish a comprehensive web-based resource to provide planners, architects, elected officials, developers, employers and school administrators with evidence-based best practices for complying with the following evidence-based recommendations:

        1. Improve access to and promote “active transportation” and public transportation options
          1. plan, build, retrofit and maintain a well-connected and ADA accessible network of safe and attractive walking, biking and transit facilities for recreation as well as for transportation (e.g., shared use paths, bike lanes, sidewalks, safe crosswalks, trails, greenways, convenient and accessible transit stops and shelters, etc.). These facilities should be built for people of all ages and abilities and should create a balanced and connected transportation system.
          2. create and/or update policy documents to support walking, bicycling and transit (e.g., comprehensive plans, transportation plans, recreation plans, subdivision and street standards, complete streets policies, etc.)
          3. support community Safe Routes to School programs (e.g., prioritize projects and programs that make it safer and more convenient for children to walk or bike to school).
          4. incorporate design features and incentives to promote the safety, aethetics and usage of pedestrian, bicycle and transit facilities (e.g., wayfinding signage, bike parking, shower facilities, appropriate lighting, maximum building setbacks, sidewalk furniture, traffic calming, street trees, pedestrian islands, transit pull-outs and shelters, curb-extensions, pedestrian countdown timers & audible signals, pricing strategies for transportation demand management, etc.)
          5. develop social marketing campaigns and encouragement/incentive  programs to increase promotion and use of “active” and public transportation options
          6. develop bicycle and pedestrian safety education and awareness programs for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders and motorists to encourage more safe travel for all modes
        2. Increase access to safe and attractive recreational facilities such as parks, open space, trails, rivers and other natural features and public lands (e.g., Forest Service, National and State Parks, Bureau of Land Management lands, etc.) and promote usage
          1. Build, maintain and promote ADA accessible parks, playgrounds and recreational facilities and access routes to natural features and public lands that are safe and attractive, and in close proximity to residential areas and other important destinations such as schools, worksites, childcare, etc.
            1. Increase the percentage of residential parcels within a local jurisdiction that are located within a ½-mile network distance (i.e., shortest distance between two locations by way of the public street network) of at least one outdoor public recreational facility
            2. Increase the safety, attractiveness, ADA accessibility and usability of public parks and recreational facilities (e.g., pocket parks, playground equipment, police presence, limited amount of abandoned lots and buildings and physical disorder, well maintained parks, park lighting, park design to promote physical activity, etc.)
            3. Create and implement a funding strategy for community (city/county) parks. Utilize existing funding such as Land and Water Conservation Fund to provide additional funding at the local level. Consider both development and operations support in any funding effort.
            4. Promote the usage of recreational facilities by a variety of means (e.g., signage, programming, public awareness campaigns, etc.).
        3. Incorporate appropriate residential density, diversity of land use and design quality of the built environment into local policies to enhance active living and healthy eating
          1. increase residential density (where appropriate) and the proximity of residential areas to important destinations and facilities such as stores, jobs, schools (and other public facilities), transit, farmers markets, community gardens, community supported agriculture and recreation areas
            1. promote mixed-use zoning designations
            2. explore the use of “form-based” codes and/or design review
            3. promote a connected street and trail network to promote active and public transportation options between and within subdivisions and to connect with important destinations (e.g., avoid cul-de-sac and dead end streets)
            4. encourage collaborative school planning between cities/counties and schools
            5. create school siting policies that support locating new schools and or refurbishing/repairing schools in locations that maximize accessibility (by walking and biking) and proximity to student population
            6. utilize tools available (i.e., Health Impact Assessment (HIA)) to help inform public/decision makers of long-term impact of school and other public facility siting decisions (e.g., transportation, health, environment, etc.)
            7. increase the percentage of residential and commercial parcels in the local jurisdiction that are located within a ¼-mile network distance of fast, affordable and convenient public transportation (if public transportation is available or planned)
            8. promote geographic and ADA accessibility of grocery stores, community gardens, and farmers markets especially in underserved areas
              1. create incentive programs to attract grocery stores to underserved neighborhoods (e.g., tax credits, grant and loan programs, small business/economic development programs and other economic incentives)
              2. introduce or modify land use policies/zoning regulations to promote, expand, and protect potential sites for community gardens and farmers’ markets, such as vacant city-owned land or unused parking lots
              3. control the density or location of fast food establishments (Resource: http://www.publichealthlaw.net/Zoning%20Fast%20Food%20Outlets.pdf)
            9. preserve open space, agriculture lands, and critical environmental areas by using a variety of tools (e.g., conservation easements, transfer of development rights, urban growth boundaries, etc.)
          2. incorporate high quality design of the built environment to foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place where people can gather and interact (e.g., welcoming public places, public art, quality landscape features, street furniture, appropriate green space, front porches, rear alleys, etc.)

      II. Establish an on-going, multi-disciplinary group to monitor and advance the strategies listed above.