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Maryland Municipal League Conference
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Last week, the HEAL Campaign attended the annual Maryland Municipal League (MML) Summer Conference in Ocean City. The conference was a great opportunity to meet new cities and towns interested in joining the Campaign as well as hear how our current members are implementing HEAL policies. We were happy to see so many visitors stop by our table to check out our new HEAL resources, try our famous infused water, sample some healthy snacks, and participate in some HEAL-thy competition for a raffle.
The annual HEAL Reception was another great opportunity to have some fun while learning from other HEAL cities and towns. HEAL members connected over a lively round of HEAL-themed bingo with the winning players taking home new Fitbits to help inspire healthy movement and physical activity.
Last but not least - a special shout-out to our newest HEAL Campaign honorees! This year we had the pleasure of awarding recognition to the following member cities:
- SILVER - The City of New Carrollton received Silver recognition for implementing a new healthy vending initiative and installing two new community gardens for city residents.
- PLATINUM - The City of Greenbelt, the City of Laurel, and the City of Bowie received Platinum, the highest HEAL achievement award. Cities and towns that advance to the Platinum level have attained Gold status and are able to provide evidence that their healthy eating and active living work reaches across government departments and is being evaluated and monitored.
Congratulations to all 2019 HEAL cities and towns! Thanks for your continued efforts bringing healthy eating and active living policies and practices to residents, employees, and community members.
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Spotlight | Greenbelt, Maryland
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T
his month we are reissuing our Spotlight feature on the City of Greenbelt. As a recent Platinum honoree, this city is helping residents of all ages stay healthy and active. Read how this City is implementing Complete Streets Policy goals to help improve bike and pedestrian safety and is working with a
local community college to provide senior learning programs and health classes. Find the
Spotlight article
here
.
Interested in having your city or town featured in an upcoming Spotlight article? Please send a request to Sydney Daigle,
Sdaigle@institutephi.org .
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HEAL Policy Fact Sheets
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The HEAL Campaign has just issued four new resources to help local elected officials implement HEAL policies and practices. Find the resou
rces below!
- Strategies for Completing Your Streets: Best Practices that Pave the Way is an informative fact sheet that shares tips and tricks on how to implement Complete Streets practices in your city or town. In five comprehensive steps, municipal leaders can design safer streets for all. Read how the City of Charlottesville, Virginia and the Town of Edmonston, Maryland are implementing Complete Streets practices in their communities.
- Worksite Wellness: Be a City with a Healthy Workforce shares five steps to help encourage a healthier workplace to increase employee satisfaction and reduce costs. Read how the towns of Warrenton, Virginia and Bel Air, Maryland are leading workplace wellness strategies for municipal employees.
- Improve the Health of Your City: Design Your General Plan for Health helps municipal leaders understand how community planning and design can have a significant impact on the physical, social and mental health of residents. Learn how policy decisions related to the general plan, zoning, conditional use permits, environmental review and health impact assessments can influence health outcomes in your community. Check out how the Town of Scottsville, Virginia and the City of Rockville, Maryland have incorporated health considerations into their Comprehensive Plan updates.
- Healthy Procurement Practices: Set the Standard for Good Food illustrates how municipalities can help improve healthy food options for residents through healthy procurement practices such as nutritional standards for vending, permitting to build grocery stores in underserved areas, and guidelines to encourage healthier food options. Read how the towns of Leesburg, Virginia and Ocean City, Maryland have implemented healthy vending to help encourage healthier consumption among town staff and residents.
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Tools & Resources
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Webinar | Partnering for Engagement: Accessibility of Public Spaces
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This webinar from America Walks will share how new technology in transportation pose challenges and opportunities for people with disabilities. While trends like micro-mobility and mobility as a service offer opportunities for reimagining public space, people with disabilities need to be at the table and part of any decision-making process. This webinar will be held on July 17, 2019 at 2 PM EST. Register
here.
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Webinar | Developing a Food Procurement Policy or Profile -
This webinar from the Chesapeake Foodshed Network provides guidance on developing a food procurement policy or profile to institutionalize good food values that support local farmers, food producers, sustainable agriculture practices, women, and minority-owned farms and food businesses. This webinar shares best practices to facilitate an inclusive process that engages those who will be most impacted in the policy or profile, sample language and policy templates, and standard processes for developing and approving a policy or profile. Find the webinar recording here.
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Report | Dangerous by Design 2019 -
Smart Growth America has released an annual report on street and road safety in the United States. Dangerous by Design 2019 ranks states and metropolitan areas using the "Pedestrian Danger Index" to measure how deadly it is for people to walk
based on the number of people struck and killed by drivers while walking. Find the report here and see how your community ranks.
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Resource | Don't Give Up at the Intersection: Designing All Ages and Abilities Bicycle Crossings -
Don't Give Up at the Intersection expands the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Bikeway Design Guide, adding detailed guidance on intersection design treatments that reduce vehicle-bike and vehicle-pedestrian conflicts. This guidance covers protected bike intersections, dedicated bike intersections, and minor street crossings, as well as signalization strategies to reduce conflicts and increase comfort and safety. Find the resource here.
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Grants & Funding
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National Endowment for the Arts: Our Town Grant Program
- The National Endowment for the Arts is accepting applications for creative placemaking projects that i
ntegrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes. These projects require a partnership between a nonprofit organization and a local government entity, with one of the partners being a cultural organization. Matching grants range from $25,000 to $200,000. Grant applications are due on August 8, 2019. More information can be found here.
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10-Minute Walk Planning Grant and Technical Assistance -
Through the 10-Minute Walk Campaign, the National Recreation and Park Association is offering grants and technical assistance to support planning efforts that help cities increase access to high-quality parks within a 10-minute walk. 10 cities will receive $40,000 to work alongside national organizations to develop their commitment to the 10-Minute Walk Campaign. An informational webinar will be held on July 9, 2019. The application deadline is August 02, 2019. More information can be found here.
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Maryland's Community Parks & Playgrounds Program -
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is providing grant funding to incorporated Maryland municipalities to restore existing and create new park and green space systems. Applicants are encouraged to emphasize those projects that offer public benefits by enhancing quality of life in existing population centers and demonstrating the use of low impact development techniques, materials and management. Applications are due by 3:00 PM on August 21, 2019. More information can be found here.
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About Us
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HEAL is a project of the Institute for Public Health Innovation in
partnership with the Maryland and Virginia Municipal Leagues and funded by Kaiser Permanente, founding partner.
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