How healthy we are is often determined by the community we live in. Our surroundings can greatly influence our daily choices by creating or limiting access to quality food and opportunities for physical activity.
By opening up safe places for recreation like parks and schools through Joint Use agreements, residents can have new opportunities to create healthier lifestyles.
Accessible bike paths, walking trails and safe playgrounds help make our neighborhoods healthier and build a sense of community. Simple changes – like installing bike racks or creating streets that support all modes of transportation – can reinvigorate LA communities and create healthier residents.
These changes in our neighborhoods can improve safety, encourage walking and bicycling for health, reduce transportation costs and foster stronger communities. While these changes can be found under different names – Complete Streets, People St – they have one goal: to create an environment that supports healthy choices.
Live Healthy, by the Numbers:
- 43% of people with safe places to walk within 10 minutes of home meet recommended daily activity levels.
- Residents are 65% more likely to walk in a neighborhood with sidewalks.
- People in walkable neighborhoods do 35-45 more minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week and are substantially less likely to be overweight or obese than similar people living in less-walkable neighborhoods.
- Nearly one-third of transit users meet the Surgeon General’s recommendations for minimum daily exercise (about 30 minutes a day for adults and 60 minutes a day for children).
