There is one number that might determine how healthy you are and how long you live, but it’s not blood pressure, cholesterol count or weight.
The number is your address, said Kate Riordan, active living program manager for Health by Design, an independent nonprofit organization based in Indianapolis. She was the guest speaker at the Healthy Jackson County meeting Nov. 15.
The mission of Health by Design is to create an environment that promotes physical activity and protects the natural environment through education, advocacy and action.
“There is now a saying out there, based on research, that ZIP code is actually more important than genetic code,” Riordan said. “It means that place matters and the choices we make are driven by the choices that we have. We need to make the healthy choice the easy choice.”
For so long, public health has focused on individual behaviors, like how much exercise you are getting and what you are eating and not really asking if people have access to make those individual choices, Riordan said.
“In order to have good health, we still have to look at exercise and healthy eating,” Riordan said. “But in order for people to be doing those things, they need to have an environment that supports those behaviors.”
Having a way to get to grocery stores where fresh fruits and vegetables are available and access to places where individuals can bike and walk are all a part of a supportive environment, Riordan said.
That’s where complete streets enter the picture.
Complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe, comfortable and convenient access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities, Riordan said.
“Complete streets serve everyone, including approximately one-third of Hoosiers who don’t drive,” Riordan said. “This includes children, older adults, people with disabilities and those who cannot afford a vehicle or choose not to drive for whatever reason.”
Complete streets are not a one-size-fits-all approach because the complete streets in a rural area will look different from complete streets in the city. Both, however, are designed to balance safety and convenience for all users of the road, Riordan said.
“A complete street may include sidewalks, bike lanes, special bus lanes, comfortable and accessible public transportation stops, frequent and safe crossing opportunities and median islands,” Riordan said. “It might also include accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions, narrower travel lanes and good lighting.”
Post-World War II, most city engineers and planners were told to design roads to get cars in and out of cities as fast as possible, but if the intention is changed to build places for healthy people, we can start to change our environment, Riordan said.
Seymour currently has a complete streets policy in place, said Molly Marshall, an educator with Purdue Extension Jackson County.
“Hopefully, with Mark Fenton’s upcoming visit, we can also get the complete streets policy in place for both Brownstown and Crothersville,” Marshall said. “That is something we are working toward.”
Fenton is a national public health, planning and transportation consultant based in Boston. He also is an adjunct associate professor at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and former host of the “America’s Walking” series on PBS television.
He is tentatively scheduled to visit the area March 5 and 6 to do a windshield tour and workshop, said Tanya Hall, the community development champion and regional educator for Purdue University Southeast.
“The afternoon of March 5, Mark will do a windshield tour to get a lay of the land to see what Seymour, Brownstown and Crothersville look like,” Hall said. “The next morning, Mark will hold a workshop consisting of education, a walk audit and then suggestions as to what action steps should be taken next.”
Kris Meyer, Indiana Healthy Community champion for Jackson County, said while in Brownstown, Fenton will be looking at the areas around the schools.
“We have the beginnings of a working group concerning streets in Brownstown and are trying to get more professionals involved,” Meyer said. “There is concern about safe routes to school, and also, the elementary school is concerned that there is only one road leading in and out of that building.”
There also is concern about middle and high school students walking to and from school.
“Brownstown is divided by Highway 50, and we have kids crossing that street trying to get to school, and it has become an issue,” Meyer said.
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For information about Health by Design, visit healthbydesignonline.org.
For information about Healthy Jackson County, visit facebook.com/healthyjacksoncounty.
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What: Healthy Jackson County meeting
When: 10 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 31
Where: Community Foundation of Jackson County, 107 Community Drive, Seymour
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