December 2014 Newsletter

The month of December is a time of reflection and connections with families, friends, and holiday traditions. This month’s newsletter is also about connectivity and how our built environment lends itself to overall health and prosperity. Some of the stories we are featuring include a new tool from the Center for Disease Control; a message about the need for broadband connectivity in rural communities; and an argument for embracing a welcoming diverse community. ETQG has been working with a broad coalition of equity partners to make the region a “Welcoming Community” for all.

Connectivity also includes the ability to travel in our region. A myriad of recent articles tout the changing transportation demands as millennials, baby boomers, and newcomers seek to live in more walkable communities. There is an increasing demand for public transportation, but a decreasing fund balance for maintenance of existing infrastructure. In a recent letter sent by Commissioner Schroer, our elected officials were made aware of the issues that TDOT is experiencing with balancing repairs with new investments. As we consider best growth practices for the region, the uncertainty of funding will become an important variable.

Another connection that we hope our communities will consider is the Smart Communities Initiative (SCI) which brings together communities with resources from the University of Tennessee. Programs like SCI are wonderful opportunities to create a learning experience benefiting students and providing results for participating community.

Wishing each of you greetings for a wonderful holiday season!

Julie

While many people understand the connection between sustainability and the environment and economy, the social-or equity-aspect of sustainability can be more puzzling. What, exactly, is meant by “equity?” Why does it matter for sustainability?

East Tennessee Quality Growth (ETQG) is working on answering the first question. Through a series of recent ETQG workshops, staff from the City of Knoxville and other local groups helped draft one definition of equity: “Equity is fair access to opportunities to improve quality of life”. ETQG is leading an ongoing discussion about how, with this definition in mind, local partners can advance equity in our region.

But why does equity matter for sustainability? Personally, I like one succinct explanation offered by the International City/County Management Association: equity matters because inequality and social exclusion undermine the long-term viability of communities.[1]

Municipal sustainability offices around the country are working to be more deliberate about remembering the “third E” when planning and implementing sustainability projects. One local project that simultaneously addresses environment, economy, and equity is the Smarter Cities Partnership, a collaboration between local organizations to improve the comfort, quality, and affordability of homes through energy efficiency.

The Smarter Cities Partnership addresses a persistent problem in our community. Many homes that are affordable in terms of rent are poorly insulated and weatherized, which results in utility bills too high for some families to pay. Each year, the Knoxville community spends close to $5 million on utility bill assistance payments to help thousands of local families avoid utility disconnection or even possible homelessness.

The Smarter Cities Partnership works to reduce the need for utility bill assistance at its source. By expanding financial, educational, and institutional tools to improve the efficiency of lower income homes, the Partnership advances all three E’s of sustainability. Environmentally, energy efficiency avoids the negative environmental consequences of excessive energy consumption. Economically, efficiency helps families keep money in their pockets and reduces the need for public investment in utility bill assistance. From an equity perspective, the Partnership seeks to empower families who cannot pursue energy efficiency projects independently or are unaware of how to reduce their utility bills. By promoting all three E’s-environment, economy, and equity-the Smarter Cities Partnership exemplifies the ideal approach to sustainability and helps build a community that can thrive today and for years to come.

If you’d like to learn more about the Smarter Cities Partnership or other City of Knoxville sustainability initiatives, please visit our website or contact me ategill@cityofknoxville.org.

The Greenway and Parks Connection: Last month, Jeremy Pearson wrote a column discussing greenway projects in the region. For communities looking to improve or expand their Greenway and Parks system, CDC has released new guidelines on Improving Community Health through parks and trails.

To encourage outdoor activity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a parks and trails toolkit that will help communities create parks with expanded health benefits. Access to parks can help kids get the 60 minutes of aerobic physical activity each day recommended to maintain good health. According to the 2014 CDC State Indicator Report on Physical Activity, less than 30 percent of youth (grades 9-12) in the United States get this recommended amount of aerobic physical activity. Additionally, more than 25 percent of adults report no leisure-time physical activity.

Impact Assessment (HIA) Toolkit  has six components to empower individuals and help community planners address health when designing parks and trails. This framework allows public health departments, city planners, project managers, community groups, and other stakeholders work together to create healthier environments. The toolkit includes: Resources that provide data about health issues in an area, for example, childhood obesity rates, mortality rates, or percent of low birth weight babies; Recommendations from existing HIAs, including ways to improve access by evaluating park entry points and support physical activity that can help improve cardiovascular health; Citations that support the recommendations.

CDC’s Healthy Community Design Initiative is working with health departments throughout the country to learn about and use the principles of HIA. This tool focuses on how parks and trails can contribute to public health by highlighting key issues such as lack of access to parks and trails and encouraging physical activity. To learn more about CDC’s new Parks and Trails HIA Toolkit, visit: CDC More on Healthy Places