- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

CBC: Pedestrian mall experiment starts in Winnipeg's Exchange District (Sep8'18)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Sep '18

09 Sep '18

Pedestrian mall experiment starts in Winnipeg's Exchange District Part of Albert Street to be closed off to traffic on Saturday afternoons this September https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/pedestrian-mall-experiment-exchange… A new pilot project is being launched in the Exchange District to see if Winnipeggers will embrace the idea of pedestrian-only streets. For every Saturday in September, one block of Albert Street between McDermot and Bannatyne avenues will be closed to traffic, creating a pedestrian mall. The experiment is an initiative of the Exchange District Business Improvement Zone, after the city approached the organization to conduct it. David Pensato, the executive director of the BIZ, said the idea has been floated for decades. The plan is to just try different things and see if it's something people enjoy, he said. <http://www.gomanitoba.ca> "We're not programming it like an event, because we do want it be an honest experiment of what the conditions would be like if the street was for pedestrians," he said. "We're not trying to compete with any of the businesses on the streets around there. What we're doing is we're inviting the businesses that are on Albert to come out onto the street." The area will be closed off to cars from noon to 5 p.m., with furniture, buskers and games set up for people to enjoy.

1 0

WFP: WRENCH says bring your bikes to them— not the curb (
by Beth McKechnie 09 Sep '18

09 Sep '18

WRENCH says bring your bikes to them— not the curb Don’t do the right thing the wrong way, city group advises https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-group-hopes-youll-donate-your-… KETTLES, clothes, toaster ovens, furniture, books and more will be piled on curbs and lawns Saturday and Sunday, free for the taking as part of the city’s biannual Giveaway Weekend. Pat Krawec, co-executive director of the WRENCH (Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub), hopes bicycles will not be among the items in the pile. He is attempting to educate Winnipeggers about the benefits of taking bikes that have outlived their usefulness — whether they’re old, broken or have been outgrown — to one of the city’s three 4R Depots, rather than leaving them on the curb. The depots — located at 1777 Brady Rd., 1120 Pacific Ave. and 429 Panet Rd. — forward all bikes to the WRENCH, a non-profit charity at 1057 Logan Ave. that offers programs for schoolchildren and adults in bike repair, teaches people to build their own bicycles, and offers off-site tune-ups in the community. Services are by donation on a sliding scale, or can be paid for with volunteer hours at the shop. It also sells refurbished bicycles at its retail location at The Forks. “Why is doing the right thing sometimes the wrong thing?” Krawec said. “Manitobans are generous, it’s true. But putting your bike at the curb can actually act as a buffer for bike theft in two ways.” First, when unwanted bikes are regularly left out for anyone to take — whether it’s during a Giveaway Weekend or not — it offers thieves plausible deniability. “Another way it really promotes bike theft is it devalues the bicycle,” Krawec said. “People say, ‘Well, they’re not important. People leave them lying around, so it’s no big deal if I take one.’ That really contributes greatly to the problem.” Krawec said the current methamphetamine abuse epidemic in Winnipeg has led to a spike in bike theft. “Because we have an addiction crisis, those people are very vulnerable, and they’re going to be preyed upon by dealers and the people who run chop shops — they’re the people who profit (from theft).” With nine community bike shops— including the Bike Dump (631 Main St.) and Co-Op Vélo-Cité (190 Avenue de la Cathedrale) — Winnipeg is an international leader in this kind of programming. The city is also the first jurisdiction in Canada to forge an agreement with community bike shops to handle recycling. “One hundred per cent of the children’s bikes that go in (to the depots) get reused,” Krawec said. “And about 70 per cent of the adult bikes get reused or at least sorted for parts… A bike for the city is worth about 70 cents in dirty scrap. A bike for a community bike project is worth a minimum of $25 per unit. “It’s an instant way to add value into your community.” jill.wilson(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @dedaumier

1 0

WFP: Survey says, make city more bike-friendly (Aug30'18)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Aug '18

30 Aug '18

Survey says, make city more bike-friendly SWEEPING the streets in fall, painting roads with bike lanes and increasing public awareness of infrastructure developments to roads and bike lanes were among a list of recommendations Wednesday from CAA Manitoba, about a month and a half before October’s civic election. The recommendations stem from the concerns respondents found most pressing in a June survey conducted by Probe Research. In that poll, which surveyed 600 Winnipeg adults regarding cycling and driving issues, 59 per cent of respondents said road maintenance is poor and 36 per cent said lane-painting and signage needed improvement. Only three per cent said the city was doing a “very good job” maintaining road surfaces for vehicles, while only eight per cent were satisfied with lane paint and signage. “That’s not news to us,” said Liz Kulyk, CAA Manitoba’s corporate manager of government and community relations at a media event near the soonto- be-complete protected bike lane at the intersection of Ferry Road and St. Matthews Avenue. She said the poll results and recommendations are things “anybody who’s elected to city hall in October should be looking at.” Kulyk said the 2015 cancellation of the fall street sweep program has led to an accumulation of material along city curbs, creating a dangerous situation for cyclists and forcing them further into traffic. She also said such accumulation leads to pavement degradation. Reinstating that program would create a better situation for both cyclists and vehicles, she said. The organizations also suggested starting spring sweeping earlier. Regarding signage and road demarcations, the organizations recommend putting roads with bike lanes first when it comes time to repaint, painting directional arrows on all painted bike lanes, using more high-visibility green paint at high-volume intersections, more consistency in “drivers yield to cyclists” signs and adding an option for citizens to request road painting through the 311 app. Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe said addressing safety concerns revealed in the survey means creating roads with protected bike lanes in mind. “We really want to see this city as a world-class city in terms of biking,” Cohoe said. In June, an Angus Reid poll found more than three-quarters of Winnipeggers thought separated bike lanes were a “good idea.” Other recommendations included a review of the past 10 years of snow-clearing budgets, revising next year’s budget accordingly and creating a reserve of funds set aside as a buffer for heavy snow years. One element present through all recommendations was an emphasis on regular, targeted education campaigns, as well as significant social-media presence in order to ensure the public is aware of proper road etiquette and that people share the road in a safe way. Cohoe and Kulyk also stressed the merit of consulting the public on infrastructure rehabilitation and reconstruction. Kulyk said the list of recommendations has been shared with the city and will be sharedwith all candidates in the upcoming election. She said the organizations didn’t calculate how much implementing the recommendations would cost, although she acknowledged it would be an expensive, yet worthwhile, endeavour. ben.waldman(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 0

CBC: CAA, Bike Winnipeg push city for transportation improvements (Aug29'18)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Aug '18

30 Aug '18

CAA, Bike Winnipeg push city for transportation improvements https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-transportation-recommendat… CAA Manitoba and Bike Winnipeg have joined forces to ask the City of Winnipeg to make a number of improvements to the city's roads and bike lanes. A list of recommendations released Wednesday by the two organizations — one representing drivers, the other city cyclists — starts with calls to reinstate the cancelled fall street sweeping program and improve lane painting on roads with bike lanes. "Some of these things are small changes that really don't require a big financial impetus. It's just sort of changing some of the priorities," said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. The recommendations grew out of concerns identified in a poll conducted by Probe Research last June. The poll asked Winnipeggers about their cycling habits, problems they face and what they wish to see to improve cycling infrastructure in the city. Among those polled, 59 per cent said road surface maintenance in Winnipeg is poor, while 36 per cent said lane painting and signage needs improvement. The city increased its active transportation budget by 31 per cent in 2018, from $13.2 million to $17.3 million. It also budgeted $116 million for road renewals in 2018, an increase of $11 million over 2017. However, that increase was earmarked for a single project: rebuilding Empress Street between St. Matthews Avenue and Portage Avenue. Money set aside for new roads and bridges, major repairs and equipment purchases dropped by $74 million, to $246 million. While the CAA and Bike Winnipeg recognize that significant improvements to active transportation have been made, they don't want to lose momentum, said Liz Kulyk, corporate manager of government and community relations at CAA Manitoba. "I think the overall theme is they need to continue. They can't ever go down again," she said. Wednesday's list of recommendations was the final release in a three-part series on transportation from CAA and Bike Winnipeg. The first focused on cycling habits of Winnipeggers, while the second focused on safety concerns. The full list of recommendations from CAA and Bike Winnipeg is as follows: - Reinstate the cancelled fall street sweeping program "to address accumulation of material at curbs that create slippery situations for cyclists." This forces cyclists farther into vehicle traffic. Leaving the material on the road also creates issues for drivers, as it degrades the pavement faster, resulting in more repairs and financial investment over time, the organizations say. - Prioritize roads with bike lanes when deciding which ones need lane painting - Undertake a proactive community stewardship campaign, empowering citizens to request lane painting if markings are faded, damaged, missing or unclear. - Increase the number of locations with "high visibility" green paint that warns users of conflict points, such as sidewalks, driveways and intersections, by 25 per cent. - Commit to investigating and consulting with the public on options such as reducing residential speed limits or adding traffic calming measures on main cycling routes by 2019. - Commit to purchasing social media advertising about new facilities that require behavioural changes, such as the no-right-on-red signs installed along the McDermot/Bannatyne bike lane corridor. The recommendations have been forwarded to city administration and the mayor's office. City spokesperson Tamara Forlanski said the city is currently constructing multiple cycling improvements which include protected bike lanes.

1 0

WFP Analysis: Investing in pedestrian movement pays off (Aug27'18)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Aug '18

27 Aug '18

Investing in pedestrian movement pays off https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/investing-in-pedestrian-… WALKING is good for you, and good for the economy. Cities across North America are investing in infrastructure to encourage walking in urban neighbourhoods as a way of improving health, accessibility, quality of life and safety while promoting urban renewal and economic growth. Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton, cities that Winnipeg competes with for investment, tourism and immigration, all have official pedestrian strategies to guide policy, increase pedestrian numbers and make those cities better places to walk. In contrast, Winnipeggers are voting on the idea of keeping concrete walls, in the heart of our city, that have intentionally repelled pedestrians for four decades. The key principles of designing an urban area to be walkable are creating direct and simple pedestrian connections along a network of diverse destinations, as well as establishing physically interesting and comfortable places to walk that feel safe and promote social interaction. Walkability has been quantified by the website walkscore.com using a 100-point scale that measures pedestrian connectivity and distances to employment, education and other amenities. A significant body of research has proven that when neighbourhood walkability increases, so does desirability, and in turn residential property values and the tax base. A national study in the U.S., conducted by CEOs for Cities, found that a one per cent improvement in Walk Score resulted in a residential property value increase of up to US$3,000. It was found that in higher-density areas such as downtown, this benefit was even greater, as people attracted to urban living more often seek a lifestyle that allowswalking to be a central mode of transportation. In Winnipeg, we have recognized this trend and have spent a lot of effort over the past decade trying to improve active transportation and livability in downtown to create an urban neighbourhood that attracts residential development. We have constructed bike lanes, plazas and parks, installed public art and new lighting, narrowed side streets and widened and improved sidewalks. The strategy is working. The population of downtown is nearing 18,000, double what it once was, and the Exchange District population has grown from 250 at the turn of this century to more than 2,500 today. Increased walkability in urban centres has also been connected to growth in commercial property values. In a study conducted by the universities of Arizona and Indiana, it was found that a 10 per cent increase in the walkability of a business district was associated with an increase of up to eight per cent in commercial real estate values. A Brookings Institution study focusing on Washington, D.C., found that office buildings in areas of good walkability commanded on average almost US$9 per square foot more in commercial rent. In Winnipeg, a number of businesses relocating from Portage and Main to True North Square, a development centred around public space designed for pedestrians, is an example of how vibrancy and walkability can create an image and that is attractive to commercial tenants. The economic benefits of walkability also extend to the retail sector. The same Brookings study discovered an increase of almost US$7 per squarefoot in walkable-area retail rents. It has been found that pedestrians in urban centres shopmore often, more locally and spend more money over time than commuting drivers do. Numerous case studies from cities around the world demonstrate that making improvements in a city centre to promote growth in walkability and pedestrian numbers can significantly increase retail activity. Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, N.C., was once the state’s most dangerous street for pedestrians, and has now been transformed into a walkable, complete street, attractingmore than US$200 million in new development and increasing retail sales by more than 30 per cent. Design improvements to increase walkability and improve the pedestrian experience on Washington, D.C.’s struggling Barracks Rowattracted 44 new retail businesses and created 200 new jobs. Melbourne, Australia, implemented a 10-year plan to pedestrianize its downtown, which resulted in a 39 per cent increase in foot traffic, an 800 per cent increase in the downtown population and a 275 per cent increase in the number of sidewalk cafés. A final way in which walkability can be good for the economy was highlighted in an intriguing study completed in Auckland, New Zealand, which looked at the correlation between pedestrianconnectivity and business productivity. It studied the concept of agglomeration economies, in which businesses that locate near one another benefit from the cost reductions and gains in efficiency that result from this proximity. Pedestrian connectivity between businesses was shown to inspire more face-to-face contact, chance meetings, knowledge sharing and idea exchange outside of the office environment, stimulating greater business creativity and innovation. Improved pedestrian access to services, clients and complementary businesses, particularly for knowledge and creative industries, was found to be a key driver of labour productivity. The study mapped buildings, employment densities and pedestrian travel patterns to determine how well connected each business was to other businesses. This was then compared to each firm’s productivity (goods and services delivered per hour). The study concluded that there is a positive and significant correlation between walkability and business productivity. It determined that a 10 per cent increase in walkability for a business location resulted in a 5.3 per cent increase in labour productivity, and if downtown could be made one per cent more walkable overall, it would add NZ$42 million per year to Auckland’s economy. Cities around the world are looking at pedestrians as the drivers of modern urban economies. Those responding to this change today, by making planning decisions that remove barriers to pedestrians and effectively translate walking into economic growth, will be the leaders of tomorrow. *Brent Bellamy is a senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group.* <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

1 0

WFP: Bike lanes peel after summer sunburn (Aug24'18)
by Beth McKechnie 24 Aug '18

24 Aug '18

Colourful Exchange District project shows signs of distress Bike lanes peel after summer sunburn https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/painted-bike-lanes-chipping-fading-… LESS than two months after artists put their mark on Exchange District bike lanes, and even before some of them have opened, the paint has started to peel. Some bike-lane paintings have already started chipping, and the bright blues, greens and pinks have faded. The City of Winnipeg and Exchange District BIZ partnered with artists to paint new bike lanes downtown this summer. The $5,000 price tag is part of the $4-million budget for the Bannatyne and Mc Dermot avenues protected bike-lane project. The city is paying 60 per cent, and the federal government is paying the rest. “The project is an example of ‘tactical urbanism,’ which aims to make urban areas more lively and enjoyable,” city spokeswoman Michelle Finley said. “The area was targeted for this project because of the Exchange District’s engaging arts and culture community, and it was deemed to be an excellent way to highlight the additional bike infrastructure in the area.” The industrial paint is similar to that of road-marking paint. A non-slip additive was mixed in so it wouldn’t endanger pedestrians or cyclists. Finley said it was expected to “last for some time.” When asked for a more specific life expectancy, she said a number of factors can influence a paint’s longevity, and the city will be monitoring the paint and its durability. “It would be premature to put a detailed time frame on it, other than to say we expect it will last more than one season.” Each artist had two days to complete their mural using buckets of industrial and exterior-grade paint in shades of blue, green and pink. The first group of artists finished their murals during the last days of June. The second set of artists completed the work in mid-July, BIZ director David Pensato said. “The idea was to have it be temporary and a thing to launch the bike lanes and the back-in angle parking,” Pensato said. It is unclear whether it is legal to use permanent paint on roads. Winnipeg artist Pat Lazo painted a strip of the bike lane on Bannatyne Avenue from King to Princess streets. Lazo said he was part of the first group of artists to paint the street murals. “It was a great opportunity; I think we need more projects like it, but I think they need to be better executed,” Lazo said Thursday, after taking a look at his chipped mural. The artist said he expected the paint to chip since his canvas was a street. However, Lazo was surprised to see the bike lane he painted was still surrounded by barricades on Thursday. “It would’ve been better if I painted (it) two days before it opened,” he said. Lazo, who was paid $500, said he normally paints murals on outdoor walls after doing more prep work, such as power-washing and degreasing. For the bike lane project, he washed and swept the surface. “It’s a street, it’s not going to last forever, but at the same time… there is prep that you can do so it’ll last longer.” Mark Penner was cycling on the street, parallel to the bike lane on Bannatyne Avenue on Thursday because Lazo’s colourful mural was blocked off. The cyclist, who is also a professional painter, said the paint job is “a really nice idea,” but the timing was off. Penner said he was somewhat shocked to see the paint already chipping, since he saw artists painting the lanes a few weeks ago. He said it would’ve made more sense to paint the lanes after construction. It would’ve helped had the lanes been painted in cooler weather, he said. “When you apply paint to a surface that’s too hot, it flash-dries and doesn’t have time to adhere,” Penner said, adding paint shouldn’t be applied outside the 10 C to 30 C range. The paint’s adhesive qualities are limited if there is dust on a surface, he added. On June 27, the day Lazo painted his mural, it was 28 C. The artist said there were also piles of dust on the lane that couldn’t be removed after several sweeps. Around the corner from the bike lane mural, Arnold Thiessen, manager of Interior Illusions on Princess Street, said Thursday he thinks the project was a “complete waste of money” and the money could have been better spent. maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie

1 0

WFP: Exchange redesign puts priority on cycling lanes (Aug22'18)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Aug '18

22 Aug '18

Business owners criticize changes Exchange redesign puts priority on cycling lanes https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/exchange-redesign- puts-priority-on-cycling-lanes-491428371.html A RECENT redesign in the Exchange District is making cycling in the city more accessible, but not all Winnipeggers are cheerful about the changes. In addition to new protected bike lanes, the City of Winnipeg has installed a number of no-right-on-red signs along Mc Dermot and Bannatyne avenues downtown. The installation of special traffic lights for cyclists along those two streets in the Exchange is also underway. The new infrastructure is part of the West Alexander to East Exchange Corridor project, an initiative to connect Winnipeg’s cycling network at a $2.6-million price tag. “We’re just relocating some of our road space to give people more options,” said Mark Cohoe of the Bike Winnipeg advocacy group. Cohoe said the new infrastructure isn’t only about drawing cyclists into the downtown core, it’s also about catering to pedestrians. The bike lanes make the streets less daunting to cross because there are fewer lanes and by making righton- red turns illegal, there will be fewer collisions with cars, cyclists and people on foot, he said. The no-right-on-red rule applies to almost 20 new intersections in the Exchange, and eight sets of traffic lights for cyclists will be installed over the next two weeks. The traffic lights will signal a phase for cyclists to proceed into the intersection before the light turns green for motorists. Pavement markings and signage will help both cyclists and motorists navigate the changes safely, city spokeswoman Michelle Finley said in a statement. “Visually, it’s very daunting right now. That’s my perspective as a driver,” said Clinton Skibitzky, co-owner of Across the Board Game Café at the corner of Main Street and Bannatyne Avenue. His perspective as a business owner, however, is the changes that have taken place in the Exchange this summer have been negative overall. “It’s been a very inconvenient summer.” Skibitzky said the majority of his clients aren’t cyclists, so the bike lanes that have replaced the parking spots outside his store and the roadway changes are all inconveniencing his customers. (The bike lanes have pushed the city to create two parking hubs and install angled spots on certain streets in the district.) Construction on the bike lane on Bannatyne Avenue started in early June and only recently ended. The city is also currently finishing up four other bike lane stretches in the area. For Skibitzky, it’s also been in with the bike lane and out a loading zone.That’s made incoming beer keg deliveries difficult to say the least, he added. A number of store owners in the Exchange said constant construction and parking spots being moved from in front of stores have affected profits throughout June, July and August. “In theory (bike lanes are) good, it’s a really positive thing with the area, but I don’t think it’s really that practical here,” said Mark Turner, owner of Amsterdam Tea Room. “I really want it to work, but I’m seeing it not be used very often and, half the time, I’m seeing cyclists use the road and not the bike lane.” It might take some time, but Cohoe said everyone will eventually adjust to the new infrastructure, adding he’s also optimistic foot traffic will increase in the Exchange going forward. Erica Mendritzski and some friends were walking down Princess Street for a lunch date Tuesday. The Winnipegger owns a studio space in the Exchange, and said she’s pro-bike lane. “(Cycling) is a healthy form of transportation, it’s better for the environment and honestly I think that’s the way most cities are headed,” she said. “It’s important for Winnipeg to catch up.” maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 0

CTV: Shopkeepers in Exchange claim lack of parking and accessibility harming businesses (Aug20'18)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Aug '18

22 Aug '18

Shopkeepers in Exchange claim lack of parking and accessibility harming businesses https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/shopkeepers-in-exchange-claim- lack-of-parking-and-accessibility-harming-businesses-1.4060718 Businesses in the Exchange say they are taking a hit to their bottom line amidst new developments in the area. Exchange area store owner, Lennard Taylor said business has recently dropped off as much as 30 percent. "We're significantly down, this month and the month before," said Taylor. The culprit, Taylor said is a bike lane built in front of his store that has wiped away parking spots, driving away frustrated customers. “All the parking spots we lost in front of our business were crucial to the businesses in the neighbourhood," said Taylor. CTV News spoke to other businesses with similar concern, as well as drivers, too. Nikolina Mandusic found a spot on the street right away this time, but she said that’s not typical. "Usually it's pretty awful, especially with the bike lanes it takes a few circles around," said Mandusic. She said the lack of parking is a roadblock for shoppers. "I have friends who hate having to find parking and will actually not come," said Mandusic. City Councillor Mike Pagtakan says the problem has been addressed. More angled parking is being added around the exchange following a successful pilot project. The city says 170 new spaces are in place in two Exchange hubs. “While some people have lost parking in front of their establishments there is an overall net gain of parking within the Exchange District, it's a modest gain, not a lot. I think between 45 and 59 spots,” said Pagtakhan. The Exchange District Biz also said it's working with the city on educating drivers on how to find the new spots, including when the snow falls. “If we're asking people to park further away, then we need to get the sidewalks clear, we've purchased equipment, the city has helped us fund that.” said Biz Executive Director, David Pensato. Lennard Taylor believes the bike lanes will bring more business once they're all opened. He said the lost parking spots should be restored in the same area by using another lane for parking, turning some of the one-ways into single lane streets. Taylor supports the bike lanes he just wants people to park near his store. "Let's create a walking district and a bike friendly and parking friendly neighbourhood," said Pensato. The city says the bike lanes are expected to be up and running by late August.

1 0

A ray of hope - Vancouver's experience
by Beth McKechnie 22 Aug '18

22 Aug '18

There seems to be a lot of negative perspectives published recently about walking and cycling in Winnipeg, so thought I'd share a snippet from Vancouver's experience. There will always be push back but it can be overcome. There wasn’t exactly a love fest over biking in the early days. “Bike lanes were controversial from day one,” Reimer says. “One of the things I’ve is learned is that people can agree on policy and direction, but the minute a piece of land comes into play, no matter how small, they get into personal arguments. I’ve sat in on meetings where people say I believe in childcare facilities, just not near me. And bike lanes are the environmental expression of that.” The bottom line, after years of tough conversations: Vancouver reached its 2020 “active transportation” goal five years early — 50 percent of commuters now walk, bike or take public transit, up from a baseline of 15 percent in 2007. According to Doug Smith, the city’s director of sustainability, that progress has fostered a ‘we can do better’ mindset. “Almost immediately [after reaching the 2020 target] the engineering department and the transportation team said we need to think longer term,” says Smith. The city now has a 2040 Transportation <http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/transportation-2040-plan.pdf> plan with a goal of getting to at least two-thirds of all trips by active transportation. One way the city intends to achieve this goal is by committing to zero expansion of car capacity, despite projections that another million people will be living in Greater Vancouver by 2040 (adding to the current population of 2.5 million). “All of that growth has to be through, walking, biking and transit. So, if you’re going to drive, you’re going to be stuck in your car,” says Smith. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3777 x102 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

1 0

WFP Analysis: Neighbourhoods influence health; we should plan accordingly (Aug15'18)
by Beth McKechnie 21 Aug '18

21 Aug '18

Neighbourhoods influence health; we should plan accordingly KEVIN LAM AND JEAN WANG SINCE John Snow mapped out the large cholera outbreak in London in 1854 relative to where people lived, it has been known that where we live, work and play strongly influences people’s health. The way our cities and towns have been built plays a large role in many of the health conditions Canadians develop. Cities such as Montreal and Vancouver have been working to create better cycling infrastructure and public transit, with the goals of improving the quality of life and health of their citizens. It’s a good start, but is it enough? We need a systemic collaboration between physicians, public health departments, developers and urban planners to help Canada design the cities we want — ones that can keep us healthy. Let’s take obesity as an example. Among Organization for Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD) countries, Canada has one of the highest prevalence rates of obesity, with an alarming one in five Canadian adults affected. Yet despite all Canada is doing to address the lifestyle factors that contribute to obesity, many public health goals are stubbornly hard to reach and nowhere near close to targets. Ninety per cent of Canadian children don’t reach the physical activity recommendations, despite physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyles being flagged as a priority focus for the Public Health Agency of Canada. It can be difficult tomake healthy choices in certain contexts. If our daily lives are surrounded by cities without green spaces to play or where public transit is difficult to access, it can be hard to make healthy choices in spite of all the health promoting. So what can be done? Current solutions are heavily focused on changing individual behaviour. A great deal of funding is spent on promoting exercise, the food guide, community weight loss programs — all with a focus on individual behaviour. But evidence demonstrates that social marketing campaigns surrounding healthy eating and exercise aren’t sufficient to address the problem. Instead of simply telling people to spend more time exercising, we can incorporate it into their lives. We could encourage stair use instead of elevators by making stairs easier to access. We could integrate walking and biking to work — forms of active transport — or make cities more walkable in general. This is an area where physicians and public health departments can collaborate with builtenvironment experts to influence health. Urban planners are the experts at improving the livability of towns, cities and regions. Meanwhile, physicians see the downstream effects of a poorly built environment in their clinics, operating theatres and emergency rooms every day — from chronic diseases to motor vehicle collisions. The future of chronic disease and obesity prevention involves professions working together to generate collaborative solutions — to create better places to live, play and work. Many studies have demonstrated that active transport is associated with a decreased risk of developing chronic illness. Physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, including a reduction in heart attacks, strokes and heart failure, by up to 11 per cent. Systematic reviews, which pool the results of multiple studies, also demonstrate that active transport is associated with a reduced risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. With the many health benefits that can be realized from encouraging more active transport, health workers have an important role in advocating for and working with their urban planning colleagues to implement these ideas. How can we take action? It’s time for health workers to speak up and get involved to help improve neighbourhoods for everyone. Urban planners can also help with determining the health impact of land-use and transport decisions by working with public health departments. The good news is that this collaboration is already starting to happen in some places. Various areas across Canada, including in Toronto, Vancouver and the Region of Peel, are employing urban planners to examine the impact of different developments on the health of a community. This means new developments are being built to encourage more active transportation and existing ones are being altered to the same end. The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment has started a campaign advocating governments to adopt a national active-transport strategy. Such a strategy was one of the main recommendations in a reported released by the CPHA-Lancet Countdown Briefing for Canadian policy-makers. The future of chronic disease and obesity prevention involves working together to generate collaborative solutions. We need to fight together for better places in which to live, play and work. *Jean Wang is a second-year medical student at the University of Ottawa who has been involved in chronic disease management and prevention research. Kevin Lam is a second-year medical student at Mc Master University who has an interest in public health and its intersection with emergency medicine, with a special focus on improving health through urban design. They are both contributors to Evidence Network.ca, which is based at the University of Winnipeg.* — Troy Media

1 0