The paper addressed how complete streets and greenways are solutions to Detroiter’s  concerns around safety, health and economy. In February we published an excerpt on safety; this article addresses how complete streets have the potential for improved community health.

Detroit residents suffer from chronic diseases and obesity at an alarming rate. Much of this can be avoided with better nutrition and increased physical activity. However, Detroiters lack availability and access to walkable and bikeable communities. The Physical Activity Workgroup is working diligently to improve the access to safe spaces to physically active in Detroit.

Our workgroup leads the Detroit Complete Streets Coalition, which has a three-pronged purpose: 1) to build and sustain a coalition, 2) to educate the community on complete streets, and 3) to lead the effort to pass a complete streets ordinance. The complete streets ordinance will encourage the planning and implementation of complete streets infrastructure in the community.

These changes are in line with the Institute of Medicine, which recommends fighting childhood obesity by establishing ordinances to encourage the construction of sidewalks, bikeways, and other places for physical activity, like those suggested with complete streets policies. (Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2011)

Residents are 65 percent more likely to walk in a neighborhood with sidewalks, which is a method of making a street a complete street. (Giles-Corti & Donovan, 2002)

Additionally, the planning and construction of greenways in communities increase the opportunities for residents to be physically active. Forty-three percent of people with safe places to walk within ten minutes of home met recommended activity levels; among those without safe places to walk just 27 percent met the recommendation. (Powell, Martin, & Chowdhury, 2003)

The Dequindre Cut in Detroit is a shining example of a greenway that increases the opportunities for residents to be physically active. Located in Downtown Detroit, the Dequindre Cut gives access to residents and visitors alike to walk and bike on an off-road facility. The city of Detroit was the recipient of a $10,000,000 grant through Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) II funding. This will extend the Dequindre Cut to Eastern Market, a six-block market selling healthy, fresh foods to residents at affordable rates.

The 2012 WAB program season saw two programs stem from one. The WAB program sprouted the “Walking Against Blight Walking Club” which addressed healthy lifestyle education and the “Mobile Mapping Project” which tracked and recorded blight.

The Walking Against Blight Walking Club had 29 registered members. The club members walked more than 550 miles, 1.4 million steps and burned more than 20 pounds collectively from September 2012 to December 2012.

In November 2012, 12 residents from two eastside pilot areas used mobile technology to walk through their neighborhoods and record instances of blight – vacant buildings, illegal dumping, abandoned vehicles, etc. Warren/Conner Development Coalition conducted the training and facilitated the data collection.

The surveyors recorded over 2000 instances of blight.  There was a 63% increase in the number of incidents recorded in 2012 compared to the 1200 incidents in 2011. A photograph was taken of each occurrence and the location was recorded, ultimately creating a database and Google Earth based map. The Google Earth Map is much more comprehensive and user-friendly than previous maps done for this project.

Moving forward, our goal is to be able to continue to update the database while also expanding to other neighborhoods within Detroit city limits to create a larger database of blight that can be targeted for remediation while empowering residents and youth to implement blight remediation efforts. Ultimately, we hope to be able to create safer, more walkable communities that promote better public and physical health.

Contact Darnell Adams for more information at 313-571-2800 x 3202 or dadams@warrenconner.org.

Workshops will focus on four topics: Food and Nutrition Education, Sourcing Food Locally, The Politics of Food, and The Future of Detroit’s Food. Watch the Detroit Food Policy Council’s website and Facebook page for a program schedule to be published soon.

On April 4^th, don’t miss our keynote speaker: Nikki Henderson, Executive Director, People’s Grocery in Oakland, California. Nikki began her work in social justice through the foster care system in Southern California, having been raised with seven older foster brothers, and later shifted into sustainability, developing course curriculum for the University of California system and advocating across the state for environmental justice and political ecology. She has worked closely with Van Jones and Phaedra Ellis Lamkins at Green for All, fighting for a green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. She was also a part of Slow Food USA in Brooklyn, New York. In 2009, Nikki co-founded Live Real, a national collaborative of food movement organizations committed to strengthening and expanding the youth food movement in the United States. In 2010, Nikki was featured in ELLE magazine as a Gold Awardee. She has a master’s degree in African American Studies from UCLA, and is originally from Los Angeles.

Summit registration is $20 per person for all three days.  A limited number of scholarships are available. Register on our website at www.detroitfoodpc.org and call us at (313) 833-0396 for more information or to request a registration form in the mail.

Detroit is a national model for urban agriculture initiatives, and community food partners have worked tirelessly to create an inclusive environment where everyone has access to good food. Other under-utilized assets include vacant land and buildings, direct access to fresh water, a busy international border crossing, and committed people who are passionate about revitalizing the city.

Because of the city’s history and its many assets, the Detroit Food & Fitness Collaborative (DFFC) will be conducting a study of Detroit’s food economy in 2013. A study of the local food economy in Detroit that documents both opportunities and gaps will help guide and inform future investments. This study will examine three major areas of interest:

Distribution- methods and/or systems currently utilized to distribute good food within the city of Detroit and SE Michigan

Localization- percentage of local purchasing resulting in the greatest economic benefit for the city of Detroit; proposed timeframe for reaching the local purchasing goal; and the infrastructure, methods, and consumer behaviors required to reach goal within designated timeframe

Workforce- employment opportunities currently available in the food system and future opportunities that may be available if the localization goal is achieved

An essential component of the study is community engagement that will include Detroit residents, local entrepreneurs, civic, and business leaders. Community focus groups will be conducted for feedback on design, the data collection process, and the development and dissemination of the final study.

DFFC is partnering with the Detroit Food Policy Council, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, and Detroit Future City on this project, and we look forward to providing updates on our progress throughout the year.

Far too often Detroit appears on lists declaring it as one of the most hazardous places to live because of safety, crime violence, and accidents. Safety concerns impede residents’ ability to be physically active.

During a focus group conducted by the Built Environment/Physical Activity (BE/PA) Workgroup, the residents detailed safety as a significant impediment to their physical activity. Concerns that impede residents’ ability to be physically active in their community include crime and violence and pedestrian-automobile crashes. Detroit has one of the highest rates for pedestrian crashes in the nation. (Michigan State Police, 2010).

In 2011, Detroit had 489 pedestrian and 109 bicycle crashes (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, 2012). Pedestrian and bicycle crashes are a great concern for Detroit residents.  Implementing complete streets infrastructure including mid-block crossing, bike lanes, and pedestrian sanctuaries, improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Criminal violence also serves as a deterrent for physical activity, parents and schools limit physical activity access to youth to ensure they are kept safe. Built environment interventions can be used as a method to enhance neighborhood safety. More eyes and feet are on the pavement, similar to a neighborhood watch. This intervention makes criminals are less likely to engage in violence since they are aware that others are watching.

[T]he design of the built environment should not impede the propensity for walking and physical activity. The link between built-environment characteristics and safety from crime and/or traffic danger has been clearly established by researchers. Therefore, design and policy interventions aiming to enhance neighborhood safety are the necessary first steps for the encouragement of walking. (Loukaitou-Sideris, 2006)

Introducing built environment enhancements to a community with safety challenges can serve as a step in the right direction to reduce pedestrian-automobile crashes and decrease criminal activities.

One of the great aspects of our program is that every session includes both adult/parent learning time and interactive parent-child learning time. The first hour is just for the parents, and we provide childcare for the children. This not only provides a break for our moms and dads, but it gives them a chance to learn in an uninterrupted environment.

During the second hour of class, the children join the parents to learn something hands-on together. As one mom commented, “I appreciated the structured physical activities that I could do with my kids. It gave me some ideas on how to keep them active, with things I could do with them on my own.”

Here’s what we’ve been up to:

Week one was about movement, and learning to move more through walking. All of our parents and children were given pedometers and instructed on how to use them. The parents also learned about pedestrian safety. The kids did walking contests, played on balance boards, and participated in other physical challenges. One of the moms said that the pedometers turned into a challenge with her children at home, to see who could walk more, and it made her conscious that she could be more active too.

Week two involved a lesson in nutrition and diabetes with a nurse who specializes in diabetes prevention and treatment. She talked with the parents about nutrition, health and diabetes management. One of the mothers in our group is pre-diabetic, so the topic was relevant to the group. I was amazed at how engaged the parents were, and much of the session was just spent with the parents asking the nurse questions. In the second half of class, the children and parents participated in an animal yoga class, trying different postures while being physically active. We ended the session with the families making veggie pizzas together – and even the youngest of children participated in the food preparation.

During week three, we did a session on environmental factors that affect health, with a presentation from Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, a nonprofit that works with residents, community organizations, agencies, businesses and industry to improve environmental conditions in southwest Detroit. The representative talked to the parents about lead poisoning and asthma. During the second half of the session, parents and children made berry smoothies together.

Our program culminated at the end of August with a trip to Eastern Market for Tuesday market day. As a surprise, each adult was given $10 to purchase as much healthy produce as they could, and the families compared their bounties at the end of our trip. Even though we could not provide transportation, most of the families found their way to Eastern Market to meet up for this last session – illustrating their commitment to eating better to feel better, and using the lessons learned during our program to begin making lifestyle changes for themselves and their families.

Our Hustle dancers range in age from children to seniors (the park is next to the Village of Oakman Manor senior living community), most of whom come to participate, but some just to watch. They come from the neighborhood, and we have some Focus HOPE students and staff members that attend as well.

While I originally planned for a yoga series, but was unable to find and instructor, the decision to offer a Hustle class instead has proved positive. Folks are commenting how good it is to get out and get moving, and I have overheard participants saying that they are using muscles they haven’t used in a while and that they should get out and walk more. I’m excited that the class is getting folks thinking about fitness and moving. Some of the people are glad to be learning the Hustle, since it’s often done in clubs and at special events and occasions.

In this neighborhood, no one is really promoting or offering much in the way of exercise and fitness. We lack outlets for people to safely come together and do something good for their bodies and spirit. The fact that we can introduce a simple Hustle class and get the amazing amount of participation that we have says something about the unmet need in our community.

I’m proud to be putting together this program and am proud to work at Focus HOPE. Our organization takes good health seriously; we have a wellness program for employees and a Weight Watchers program on site. We walk our talk when it comes to promoting wellness and healthy living among our employees.

The Hustle class will end August 29 or September 5, and I hope to put together a small health fair for that night. We have a number of students attending the Hustle class regularly, and people are saying that they want to continue. It’s nice to see a “demand” for this type of offering.

Please join us before the summer ends! You’ll find us at the Cool Cities Park pavilion (which has bathrooms and a concession stand) from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., every Wednesday through August, weather permitting.

For six weeks every summer, Urban Neighborhood Initiatives offers Summer at the Center, an enrichment program for children and youth ages 6-14. Of all the activities that our students participate in, soccer is almost always the favorite. In our neighborhood it does not take long to find a group of kids kicking a ball around because in southwest Detroit, soccer is king.

I have always enjoyed playing soccer but it was not until I started working with the youth of Springwells Village that I fell in love with the sport. Therefore, we have started Springwells Soccer!

The program was made possible in part through an Active Living Detroit Mini-Grant jointly sponsored by Healthy Environments Partnership and the Detroit Food & Fitness Collaborative.

Springwells Soccer is one element of our summer program where we offer the children and youth of our neighborhood a safe, fun, and desirable place to play soccer. Our goal is for our youth to develop an active lifestyle, build meaningful relationships, learn teamwork and good sportsmanship, and ultimately grow in their love and ability for the game. All of our games are played at Springdale Green, a park developed by our organization located in the center of Springwells Village. It is well known by the youth of our neighborhood as a great place for soccer!

The mission of Urban Neighborhood Initiatives is to transform struggling urban neighborhoods into safe, vibrant, cohesive communities. We do this by intertwining both community and human development. For more information visit our website at unidetroit.org.

The class is held every Thursday, 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the dining room at St. Matthew’s & St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church, 8850 Woodward Ave., Detroit. The classes were made possible through an Active Living Detroit Mini-Grant jointly sponsored by Healthy Environments Partnership and the Detroit Food & Fitness Collaborative.

Hustle (or Line Dance) started in clubs to get a large amount of people on the dance floor to enjoy whatever the hottest record was at the time so that everyone, including “Wallflowers,” would have an opportunity to enjoy themselves. Today, it’s not just in clubs, but at family reunions, birthday parties, church picnics, wedding receptions, etc. It still encourages everyone to come together, even if you don’t know the steps, to try it and have a good time.

By definition, Hustle is an American dance that originated in the 1970s. It is traditionally danced to club hits of both the 1970s as well as contemporary ones. The dance is designed to be highly dynamic, flashy, and powerful. Although its movement history is rooted in a six-count basic step, the final form of the dance is a three-count basic step with some extended patterns and syncopations. Today, there are hundreds of hustles that have different counts. Though the counts vary, it’s an awesome way to socialize and exercise – and is a positive outlet to introduce fun back in your life. And that’s just what we do at Storehouse of Hope every Thursday night.

All ages can do the Hustle, and in my Storehouse of Hope class, ages range from two years old (yes two!) to 92 years old. And for the most part, they are just coming to have a great time, get into the atmosphere, and enjoy fitness.

A typical Zumba session burns between 500 and 1000 calories. The exercises include music with fast and slow rhythms, as well as resistance training. There are 12 million people taking weekly Zumba classes in over 110,000 locations across more than 125 countries. Zumba’s choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo, martial arts and some Bollywood and belly dance moves. Squats and lunges are also included. But no worries… because the Zumba program is low-impact, it is safe for all ages.

I created the “In The Park” series to help foster a healthy, friendly, walk-able, community environment that has multiple options for those interested in pursuing a healthy (or healthier) lifestyle. I am a Detroiter that moved back to the city in 2011 after living in Chicago for several years. I so missed doing yoga and zumba in the park there, that I decided to be the change I want to see, and organize yoga and zumba in the park here. It is absolutely exciting to see momentum building for this event. Downtown Detroit is alive with energy and it is great to be a part of it.

All events are at the beautifully renovated Peck Park. Once a lively and popular park, Peck Park had fallen into decay and abandonment by 2000, further adding to the negative urban image of Midtown. In 2003, UCCA, City of Detroit, and the Art Center Citizen’s District Council collaborated to create a construction plan that included a new playscape, performance stage, volleyball court, walkways, decorative lighting, landscaping, benches, picnic tables and trash receptacles. Construction was completed in the summer of 2004 at a cost of $650,000 (all funds raised by UCCA).

More details about the “In The Park” series:

Zumba In The Park

Every Saturday morning in July 2012

9:00am – 10:00am

Peck Park, located on Brush and Frederick (Midtown)

Yoga In The Park

Every Saturday morning in July 2012

8:00am – 8:45am

Peck Park, located on Brush and Frederick (Midtown)

Like our facebook pages for Zumba and yoga more information and updates.