Do you live in a Healthy Community?
A healthy community doesn't necessarily mean that all the people in the community could be desirably seen walking the beaches of some sun-soaked city like Miami, Florida. Healthy communities aren't that superficial, but the neglect of a community's health can often be noted by just viewing a neighborhood. If you've driven through a neighborhood that didn't have sidewalks, that had rapidly degrading or perhaps buildings, that was surrounded by industrial facilities spewing unending plumes of air pollution, that lacked sufficient public transportation stops or bike lanes, that was plagued with tobacco shops, gun stores, and 100% interest check cashing locations, or that had fast food chains on every corner but not a produce-providing grocery store within reasonable walking distance, then you have seen an unhealthy community. Does this sound like a place you live? Perhaps a place you commute through on your way to school or work?
We have broken the focal topic of Healthy Communities into 10 related components: public health, environmental health, community initiatives, communication, transportation, public events, public relations, consumer information, public safety, and food security. We have started a Green Map to provide a visual aid to "green" resources in different neighborhoods. Check out this page and see if you can walk to a farmer's market in your neighborhood or become part of a community supported agricultural project. We invite people to add to this Green Map, too. See the instructions on the website.
Many local organizations are working on Healthy Communities:
- Health by Design has a walkability survey of Indianapolis [PDF].
- Improving Kids Environment has plenty of information on healthy communities, homes and schools and greener congregations: http://www.ikecoalition.org/.
- Some less encouraging news about obesity rates in Indiana can be found at: http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2009/.
- Some benefits of urban gardens are detailed at: http://www.foodsecurity.org/UAHealthFactsheet.pdf
For more resources on Healthy Communities follow the Common Theme Project's pages to Be Informed and Get Engaged.
Win some green by helping IUPUI go green!
The deadline for the fall Common Green Contest is quickly approaching.
Have you read your pages this week?
Pp. 162 - 172: "Direct Democracy"
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Since happiness has increased with income in the past, we assumed it would do so in the future. However, it is a fallacy. McKibben’s aim in Deep Economy is relatively modest. It is to change minds, to present a new mental model of the possible. He suggests more progress toward local economies. His analysis of localization for food, radio, and energy, can be applied to almost any commodity. If we start thinking a little differently we can do the same for our democracy.
Bill McKibben, "Pursuing Prosperity and Local Sustainability"
Monday, Nov. 9,
CE – Campus Center Room: 450
