A Star in Our Future?

If only Obama would select a pedestrian and bicycling advocate as Transpo. Secretary….

…Seems Oberstar (D-Minn) and Blumenauer (D-Ore) are on the short list.

Yes we can!

Can we realistically stop a leaky dam with bubble gum?

I’m reminded of this scene in the National Lampoon’s Las Vegas Movie (Viva Las Vegas I think it’s called…). The usual group of suspects, including Chevy Chase and the brainless character Eddie, is visiting the Hoover Dam. They come across a water leak while touring the dam and one of them has the bright idea to try and stop the leak with bubble gum – they cover one leak and seconds later the water flows from another spot…they repeat the process many times only to find very similar results. Gravity can do amazing things…

I’m taken to this scene by Prop 2 in California and a post I read on someone else’s blog. In essence the proposition, which is to be voted on in less than three weeks, basically vows to stop the inhumane transportation and treatment of animals. By voting yes on prop 2 you are saying animals shouldn’t be cramped into small cages where they can’t spread their wings, move around, and so on. …And as a side note, and a vegetarian, I am completely for Prop 2…I think it’s great and long overdue.

So in my mind I never had any second guesses about how I am to vote on prop 2…you can’t go wrong by voting yes, right? Well maybe…

Last week I spoke with Cheryl Sternman Rule – a freelance writer in Silicon Valley and who’s blog I mention above. After our conversation I decided to check out her website and blog. Through perusing her website and blog (which has wonderful photography) I came across a specific blog about Prop 2. She made some very interesting points about prop 2…will the proposition’s outcome match the intent? If the prop is to pass it would place a great burden on the large industrial factory farms has they have to go about converting their pigeon hole cages to more humane living quarters (among other things). As always nothing is free and this process would cost the farms the invaluable dollar. Who is to see the impact of this change…none other than me and you – the American consumer. Most Americans, especially in tough economic times, will look to the cheapest buy they can get for their money, which in this case their eggs won’t be coming from California farms but farms in Mexico and China, which produce cheaper eggs from chickens most likely kept in inhumane and cruel conditions.

So on a prop that takes aim at improving our health and food safety we may, in essence, do neither…unless we set-up that proposed FDA Office in China (Great Idea!). You can’t win for losing, right? Well not necessarily…it goes back to the bubble gum/leaky dam analogy. You can’t truly fix the overarching system by going from leak to leak…we just create new leaks. You vote yes on prop 2 with environmental and health intentions but in someways we create larger issues with food security and an increase in food mileage. We, along with policy makers, elected officials, etc., must take a look at the larger system and create policies that are “leak” proof.

So, prop 2, what should the vote be? Yes.

Livable Communities Similar to 500-Piece Puzzles

I’ve been meaning to write this post for sometime now, but have never had the time to get around to what I had hoped to incorporate. As it stands I figure it’s best to go ahead and write it without my initial thoughts for visual representation….and off we go

What are livable communities? How are they created? The answer to both questions is quite complex – it isn’t as simple as changing one variable or the other. Transforming communities from car-crazed environments is intensive – both in time and energy. This transformation isn’t one that happens overnight and most certainly requires the dedication, passion, and buy-in from everyone in the overarching community – from elected officials to homeowners. Just as intensive as the transformation, the answer to the conversion is doubly complex. It takes a host of solutions working together in harmony to create the grand picture…much like that of a large puzzle.

So what makes a livable community? Well to begin with it is a focus on people and the community. Within this post I’ve called out three main, integral parts of a livable community – people-friendly streets, the use of green principles, and proper planning. These three areas hold the key to creating livable communities.

People-friendly streets, what are they? Well for one they are not car-friendly streets. These type streets, neighborhoods, and environments induce a type of community spirit and engagement that can’t be found inside a typical suburb. They include things like complete street policies that look at everyone’s perspective as it relates to how they use the roadways. It takes an approach to looking at how people should live, how they go about their daily lives and how they can do it without a vehicle. It involves access to parks, open spaces, trails, access to grocery stores, centers of shopping, and so on. In my mind this is the biggest puzzle piece, although in someways they should carry equal weight. But without people-friendly streets you can’t make the case for livable places…and once you have these type streets and environments many of the other puzzle pieces fall into place.

The second piece is the use of “green” principles. You might think this is only isolated to L.E.E.D and the creation of green buildings, but it goes much deeper. Certainly there is an approach that deals with building green buildings, but it includes a look at how we build our communities and what that interface is with the natural environment. Are we reclaiming our water? Are we utilizing natural sunlight – for energy, warmth, indoor lighting. Are we creating communities that have positive impact on the environment? Are we preventing pollutant spill off from getting into our rivers and streams? Historical our cities, our communities, and our neighborhoods have wreaked havoc on the environment – they have done nothing but cause burden and negative impact. Communities can be successful, vibrant, and environmentally-friendly though…and those are what I call livable communities.

Lastly we must include a proper planning puzzle piece – not just planning for today but focused planning for tomorrow. How do we design our communities for today? We include things like mixed-use buildings and neighborhoods, traffic calming practices, transit corridors, and accessibility by foot or by bike. We must also look ahead. With a growing population putting an ever-increasing strain on the environment we must look at ways to reverse that.

What are the benefits of livable communities? Numerous…too many to list off. Namely though they include enormous public health benefit, positive environmental impact, and local economic success. The health of the public is impacted both directly by action and indirectly by environment. Walking and biking are far greater for health than sitting in a car. Living in a apartment with clean air circulation and minimal toxins are far better for a person’s health than breathing in V.O.C. paints or other toxins normally used in homes and buildings.

The idea of comparing livable communities to puzzles isn’t to show the complexity of such a community, but to show the depth of involvement. Livable communities are complex to create but the positive impact on the community far outweighs the energy in which it takes to create it.

Lastly, I will say this…above all livable communities must include everyone in the community – regardless of race, social class, income status, and street address. What good is a livable community where residents have a median income of $150,000? What about the family of four, living on half of that only one mile away- don’t they deserve the same community? If we are to make real change, swing the needle in both public health (i.e. obesity, diabetes) and environmental health (i.e. CO2 emissions, global warming) we must involve everyone and think about how we create these communities to encompass everyone.

It can be done.

Walk/Bike to School Day – Washington Elementary 10/08

Walk and Roll 2008!

As part of a Bike/Ped Workgroup that is under the Santa Clara County Public Health Dept, I made it out to the Washington Elementary School this morning for International Bike and Walk to School Day. The work is focused on Safe Routes to School and incorporates Bike/Walk to School Week.

The event was great – engaging the overall school and neighborhood community – parents, teachers, administrators, elected officials, etc.

Walking and Biking to school hit on so many facets – environmental, physical health, mental health, and, in someways, even spiritual health. Which child learns best – one driven to school or one who rides his/her bike to school? Which child is more physically fit – one who uses his/her own feet/legs to get to and from school or one who sits there and back?

Great stuff…glad to be a part…

Farm Tour(s) – 09/28

Took to a farm tour of two different farms in Northern California – about three hours north of S.F. They were good, it was hot…really, really hot, to the tune of 95 degrees.

The tour was coordinated and conducted by CUESA, which is based in S/F and promotes education and learning about local foods, farms, etc….oh and they also run the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market…that big sharing of food (good times!).

The first stop on the tour was Woodleaf Orchards in Oroville.

Describing the Orchards

Ole' Faithful

Second stop was Massa Organics – an organic rice field about 45 minutes separated from the first stop. Massa not only focuses on rice but they’ve also started growing wheat and almonds. Great tour and really cool family.

Rice is #1

Child's Play

As with the previous post, I hope to write a real article or report back and my going-ons but right now don’t have the time…I will find it tho’

Healthy Communities Conference – 10/03

Returning from my long-term mental and written absence…

Dr. Richard Jackson - Keynote Speech

Healthy Silicon Valley, the collaborative of which I work so closely with just had their 3rd annual Healthy Communities Taking Action Conference…first conference with a theme…”Green Health”.

Two Wheels = Green Health

We highly encouraged arrival by alternative transit…to the point of incentivizing it. It turned out well…people took the bus, their bike as seen above, and walked.

Conference Legislative Panel

The conference also included a legislative panel, which was moderated by Michael Krasny of KQED. The panel featured California Senator Elaine Alquist, Mt. View Vice Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga, SJ Councilmember Sam Liccardo, and Robert Ogilvie of Public Health Law and Policy.

Looking Up

Hope to have more time to write a real report/article…for now I’ll stick with more of a scrap book of the event…

Where’s the Balance?

Highly interesting excerpt from Colin Beavan’s (No Impact Man) blog a couple of days ago regarding an event that took place between he and New York State Senator Jeff Klein…

“Weigh it up: “he might scratch my black Mercedes” against “he might cause my little girl to be left fatherless.”

Weigh it up again: One guy is riding a bike that weighs a grand total of 22 pounds and has a relatively small potential to harm others. The other guy is in charge of a powerful machine that weighs a couple of tons. Which person has the greater responsibility to watch out for the care and welfare of people who may get in their path, by their own fault or not?”

Check out the full post here.

…I love the wording, he couldn’t have said it any better. Where do we, as society, place importance? What do we value most?

Moreover, going beyond the writing and the diction, was the way he turned, what could have been a very negative event, into a positive spin…creating the opportunity to meet with the Senator and place him with valuable information that could change his tune on NYC transportation, thus transforming the city into a more bikeable, walkable, and livable community.

Certainly inspiring and hopeful.

A (Com)-Post

I’m sure within the history of blogs, as it relates to compost, that the above title has been used a handful of times. Although having said that, I couldn’t resist using it.

Having the interest but never the motivation to act, I finally started a compost bin about a month and a half ago. My initial reactions tell me I’m doing okay (it’s actually we, as my fiance is in on the composting as well). It seems the worms are doing what worms do – we add the scraps, they provide the poop. At this point we’ve only been adding two or three times a week. I’ve seen a couple of flies in the bin so I am cautious in how much I add for fear of getting a locus of fruit flies. Up until this point the food mixture has been light – coffee grounds, egg shells (my favorite), vegetable scraps, among other things.

Where the Magic Happens

All-in-all it seems to be working. The worms are pro-creating, asexually of course, and the compost is starting to add up. I’ve heard through the compost bin vine that we won’t see enough compost to actually use until three months in, but I think we are on our way.

a semi-DIY compost bin

Everyone Should Have the Opportunity to Put Their Feet in Walkable Communities

How do we all move with the same stride? As more and more momentum begins to fuel this movement of more livable and sustainable communities, how do we make sure these opportunities are open to everyone? As I’ve had the opportunity to learn more about social inequity and social justice issues, I’ve taken a more focused observation at how people across the board are impacted by the great walking and biking ideas that are moving in our communities. My interest in social justice and social equity issues was initially perked by  the insightful PBS documentary, “Unnatural Causes”. Taking that interest, it was coupled with this idea of livable and sustainable communities last week as I heard Ron Sims, King County Executive, speak to disparities across races and ethnic groups in the context of biking and walking.

At first thought walking and biking seem like options that are accessible to everyone – it’s easy, fairly inexpensive, and so on. But as I’ve experienced and learned, this unfortunately isn’t the case. For whatever reason walking and biking, and even public transit aren’t accessible options for some minority groups and low-income residents. Reasons as to why this is the case run the gamut from, neighborhood safety issues, financial issues, and just a simple lack of accessibility to the opportunities.

While at the Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference I attended a breakout session and, not necessarily related to the session, heard about a lightrail station that is being built in one of the older neighborhoods of Seattle. You would think residents would be thrilled with this expansion – not only would it help them get around without a car but it would also be good for the local economy, enrich the area, etc. Unfortunately as much as residents wanted to look forward to the expansion, they were concerned of being priced out of their homes. Which is truly a sad thing – but it happens in Seattle just the same as it happens all across the country. As transportation opportunities increase more and more retailers and developers want a piece of the action. Who wouldn’t want to live next to a lightrail that could jet you to downtown Seattle in five minutes? Before you know it, you have mixed use, dense condos with retail on the bottom and living on top….err but wait a minute, what happened to those who were already living there? The value of their land increased, they couldn’t afford it and before you know it they’re gone. So as I sit there in my mixed use condo I feel pretty good, I walk to the grocery store, I take the lightrail to work, and I live in a dense, high-compact neighborhood. But what about those residents that had to move? Shouldn’t they be afforded the same exact opportunities?

As I see it, our health and its positive impacts are current commodities – you want good health? How much are you willing to pay? Organic food is more expensive than conventional food. Fruits and vegetables are more expensive than calorie-dense, non-nutrient processed foods and the monetary difference between the two continues to grow. And even in our very own communities you must be willing to chuck out the money to live in a walkable, livable community.

As I had the opportunity to listen to Ron Sims speak, he mentioned that only the most affluent of communities seem to have the opportunities to access livable and walkable communities. He couldn’t be more right. Some communities are getting it right, places like Park Hill, Colorado and Seattle are right on the money. In Park Hill they focused their efforts in the low-income neighborhoods. Residents now have the opportunities to ride a bike, not only having a positive health impact, this bike gives them the opportunity to work – to go farther than they could previously go on foot alone.

Good health should have no face, it should have no color – it should be available to all of us. It should be the very thing we hold higher than any other and as we build, design, and focus our attention on walkable and livable communities, it should be done with all residents in mind.

Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2008 – Day 3 – Sept 5

8:00am – Active Travel and the Environment

Another early morning with an interesting session on travel and the environment. The session had speakers ranging from various University of Washington departments, professors, and graduate students. The one thing that stood out most was this prototype program that was used in Nokia cellphones that UW had. Basically the program could help track exercise time, nutritional information on the foods consumed, and much more. It obviously was much more involved and detailed than I am explaning here but it sounds like a cool idea to help residents really take back their health and better help others to understand where they go, how they travel, where they eat, etc.

11:00am – Feet First “re+walk” Walking Audit and Health Impact Assessment

Ironic that my first and last breakout sessions were those of the mobile kind – good to get out and walk about in the city/county. The mobile workshop was okay – interesting information along with interesting ideas but as far as information shared – it was hard to hear as we were right at the roadside and really only walked around the block and that was it. One note of interest is that the within the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle they are building a light rail station. The neighborhood has some overtones of food access issues (only one real market in the area) and social equity issues. The idea of having the light rail brought to Beacon Hill seemed to be a very sensitive issue with local residents – many of which have lived in the area for a good while. While many welcome the new transportation options, they are worried about getting priced out of their houses as the values go up.

I really like this idea of walking audits – if community members are engaged and involved in the process it certainly helps them feel empowered in their community.

Light Rail Station - Beacon Hill

Light Rail - Beacon Hill

Walking Audit - Feet First

12:15pm – Closing Plenary

The closing was special. Much in the same attitude as the conference started, it ended with hope, optimism, and the feeling that things are changing for the better. Bill Wilkson, Senior Advisor for the National Center for Bicycling and Walking may have said it best when looking to transforming our communities, “We can, we will, we must.”

Closing remarks were highlighted by Congressman James Oberstar, Rep. from Minnesota and Chairman of the U.S. House of Reps. Committee on Transporation and Infrastructure. Rep. Oberstar was a great speaker and was spot on with his remarks. He ended his remarks by emphazing that, “America needs to transition from a hydro-carbon society to a carbohydrate society.” – I’m sure he was thinking of the complex kind…brown rice, whole wheat, etc.

And what seemed like a blur, just as it started it seemed to be ending. Certainly grateful for the opportunity to attend, met so many dynamic, wise, and knowledgeable professionals in the bike/ped world. As it has been said, “knowing is not enough, we must apply” – and now that is the goal!

3:00pm – Out for a Walk

What’s better than going for a walk after a bike/ped conference? I guess riding a bike might be up there, but I went with my two feet.

Out and About

4:00pm – More Walking

My sister, who lives in Portland, came to town and while we were at a coffee shop I noticed the parking across the street. I’ve seen this design before, initially in a presentation by Dan Burden, but had never seen it in the “real”. I think for biking means, this is a great design element – where people have to back in and look toward on-coming traffic (including cyclists) as they leave, instead of backing out and hoping they don’t hit anybody or anything (the reverse and pray method).

Pro Street Design

Cloud Nine

Sitting on cloud nine…