By Sharon M. Anselmo, Assistant City Manager, City of Maitland, Florida.
Like most cities, the City of Maitland recognizes the vital role that policy makers have in promoting healthy lifestyles. Cities have long recognized that wellness programs and internal personnel policies can reduce the cost of healthcare for city budgets, but are now recognizing the unique position we have to improve the physical activity environments and quality of life in the communities we serve. By focusing on active lifestyle factors in land use decisions, redevelopment priorities and public facilities, cities can increase opportunities for physical activity, and these improvements can impact property values, community connections and civic life, and reduce traffic congestion.
The City of Maitland has utilized grant funding and partnerships with local non-profits to defray the costs of infrastructure upgrades and the cost of implementing new programs. One example is the Maitland Fire Department’s community wellness screening event. In addition to promoting wellness for the firefighters with training and fitness programs, the Department has expanded their focus City-wide with a new wellness screening event open to all City employees and residents beginning in January. The free screening, partially funded by the Winter Park Health Foundation, will include weight, height, BMI, a blood pressure check, pulse rate, non-fasting blood glucose, and non-fasting cholesterol.
Cities also have an impact on the ability of their residents to live healthy lifestyles through design and programming of City infrastructure. According to a national study by the Center for Disease Control, traffic-related danger was the second most common reason cited by parents for not allowing their children to walk to and from school. Investing in widening and lengthening biking and walking paths to encourage pedestrian traffic to civic, school and mass transit facilities has a multi-fold impact on healthy lifestyles. In addition to reducing traffic congestion when folks leave their cars to ride bikes and walk to their destinations, numerous studies indicate homebuyers prefer homes that have sidewalks and neighborhood walkability scores have a positive impact on housing values. Even small changes can make a big difference. Recently, Maitland’s Public Works Department applied for and received a grant from Healthy Central Florida, a community based partnership funded by Florida Hospital and the Winter Park Health Foundation, to purchase striping equipment and materials to enable the Streets and Facilities Division to extend the City’s marked bike lanes around our area schools using our in house personnel.
This month, to celebrate and encourage our communities to get healthy, the cities of Maitland, Winter Park and Eatonville will participate in the 4th annual Sole Challenge, a community walk sponsored by Healthy Central Florida and starting in Quinn Strong Park in Maitland. This event is another chance for our cities to improve community connections and continue to promote healthy lifestyles for residents and visitors.
