City of Decatur Community Transportation Plan

Copyright

2007

Published Date

12/31/2006

Published By

Health Impact Project

The Georgia Tech Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development conducted a rapid health impact assessment (HIA) on the Decatur, Georgia, Community Transportation Plan, focusing on potential health impacts of transportation and patterns of land use on safety, social connections, and physical activity. The HIA found that the plan could lead to a slight reduction in car use and associated health problems, such as injuries and obesity. Additionally, the increase in biking and walking in the city would raise physical activity levels and offer more opportunities for social interaction.

To best leverage the potential health benefits of new transportation and land use patterns, the HIA recommended developing a community-wide campaign to promote physical activity, partnering with local schools to encourage childhood physical activity, ensuring that intersections comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act and are easily accessible, emphasizing the mobility of Decatur's most vulnerable populations, and prioritizing connectivity throughout the city.

Outcome

After completion of the Community Transportation Plan, the City of Decatur created an Active Living Division to provide support services that contribute to the quality of life of its citizens.

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This Health Impact Assessment Report first appeared in The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health. The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health was originally developed by the Health Impact Project, formerly a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts. The creation of this resource was supported by a grant from the Health Impact Project. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Pew Charitable Trusts, or the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.