Blog

Director’s Outlook: How Your Zip Code Influences How Much Physical Activity You Get

Deb HubsmithMajor polls show that Americans want to live in places where it’s safe to walk and bicycle. The demand for walkable, livable communities has prompted many municipalities to make more investments in multi-modal transportation and adopt policies such as Complete Streets that institutionalize planning, design and construction for all types of road users.

Reflections from the Childhood Obesity Conference

Last week three representatives from the Safe Routes Partnership (Safe Routes Partnership) attended the Childhood Obesity Conference in Long Beach, CA. The Childhood Obesity Conference brings together advocates, funders, public health professionals and agency staff from across the United States to focus on the challenges of reducing obesity in our communities.

Creating a Framework for GIS Mapping in Safe Routes to School

Maggie CooperAs Safe Routes to School programs have increased across the country, a clear need for better data management at the national level has become apparent. Many communities have used Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping in assessments of the built environment, but because there is not a central place to store data, this information is stuck, in a sense, at the local level.