Healthy Kids Healthy Communities

At a Glance

Born Outside of the U.S.:

22%

Percentage of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese:

26%

Demographic Profile:

African American (36%), White (31%), Latino (26%), Asian Pacific Islander (4%)

Income below the federal poverty line:

20%

Language other than English spoken at home:

36%

Population:

2.8 million

Community Accomplishments

Chicago, IL - Healthy snack vending

Chicago, IL

Lead Agency:

Logan Square Neighborhood Association

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Chicago is the nation's third-largest city, with such a diverse population that no single ethnic or racial group has a majority. Though celebrated for many attractions, it suffers from significantly less parkland than other major cities. In low-income communities, the lack of green space is in addition to a paucity of full-service grocery stores. Both deficits greatly influence childhood obesity and other health problems.

The Logan Square Neighborhood Association is leading the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities initiative here. It wants to increase safe access to Chicago parks in part by improving the safety of routes connecting neighborhoods to parks and parks to parks and by providing job training and employment for youth to serve as "healthy parks ambassadors." Another primary goal is to expand healthier food options in and around the parks, potentially through incentives to street vendors.

A coalition of partners will focus efforts in five contiguous communities of color before exploring how to expand citywide.

The project also hopes to continue Sunday Parkways. Modeled after similar endeavors in Mexico, Colombia and Canada, this program temporarily closes boulevards to cars and other vehicles on certain Sundays and invites people of all ages and abilities to participate in human-powered activities.

"We’re working to help people reclaim the public space," project director Lucy Gomez-Feliciano says.

Such partners as the Active Transporation Alliance (previously called Chicagoland Bicycle Federation) and the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC) have been striving for years on this front, advocating strategies to support non-motorized transportation, healthy eating and active living at the neighborhood level.

The average passerby won't immediately see the progress made to date. The successes in working with various city agencies and in training parents to become vocal leaders "are not necessarily seen on a billboard," as Gomez-Feliciano puts it. But they laid the groundwork for what now will be attempted, and she is optimistic about the future.

"The five communities in this program have a record of working together and accomplishing something," she says.

The purpose of the project is to create healthy environments in and around Chicago public parks in several partner neighborhoods. Deliverables include: the establishment of Safe Park Zones, implementation of complete streets around parks, job training and employment for community youth to serve as Healthy Parks Ambassadors, policies such as healthy vending contracts and incentives, and policies to promote the growth and sustainability of community gardens on public park property. Policies will be supplemented with education, training and other supports to help ensure access to healthy food and activity in and around parks.

Chicago es la tercera ciudad más grande de la nación, con una población tan diversa que no hay un grupo étnico o racial que predomine. A pesar de que se la conoce por muchas atracciones, sufre de mayor escasez de espacios verdes que otras ciudades importantes. En las comunidades de bajos ingresos, la falta de espacios verdes se suma a la penuria de tiendas de comestibles bien abastecidas. Ambas faltas influencian enormemente a la obesidad infantil y a otros problemas de salud.

La Asociación vecinal de Logan Square lidera la iniciativa Niños saludables, comunidades saludables aquí para mejorar el acceso a alimentos saludables y espacios seguros para que los niños y sus familias jueguen y se ejerciten. Una coalición de socios primero concentrará sus esfuerzos en comunidades específicas de color antes de expandirse a toda la ciudad.
Los objetivos más importantes del proyecto son mejorar la seguridad de las rutas que conectan a los vecindarios con los parques y a los parques entre sí, incrementar el acceso a alimentos saludables en y alrededor de los parques y entrenar y contratar a jóvenes para que trabajen como “embajadores de los parques saludables”.

Y los líderes desean aún un mayor alcance de la innovadora iniciativa Sunday Parkways. Basada en emprendimientos similares en Méjico, Colombia y Canadá, la idea es retirar a los autos de kilómetros de bulevares de la ciudad los domingos con buen tiempo para que los peatones, ciclistas y entusiastas de la recreación en general puedan fácilmente llegar a los parques y disfrutar de ellos.

“Estamos trabajando para ayudar a la gente a recuperar el espacio público,”dijo la directora del proyecto Lucy Gomez-Feliciano.
Tales asociaciones como la Federación de bicicletas Chicagoland y Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (Consorcio para disminuir la obesidad en los niños de Chicago) han peleado por años por este tema, respaldando a las estrategias que apoyan al transporte no motorizado, la alimentación saludable y la vida activa en los barrios.

El transeúnte promedio no verá inmediatamente el progreso que se obtuvo hasta ahora. Los logros al trabajar con varias agencias de la ciudad y al entrenar a líderes entre los padres “no necesariamente fueron espectaculares”, como lo indica Lucy Gomez-Feliciano. Pero prepararon el terreno para lo que se intentará ahora, y ella se siente confiada en el futuro.

“Las cinco comunidades en este programa ya han trabajado en conjunto y obtuvieron algo,” indica Gomez-Feliciano.

Community Map

Case Example

HKHC Case Examples: Communities Putting Prevention to Work

July, 2012

Communities: Chicago, IL, Hamilton County, OH, Jefferson County, AL, King County/Seattle, WA, Louisville, KY...

“We’re working to help people reclaim the public space.”

Lucy Gomez-Feliciano, project director

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HKHC Chicago IL Part 2

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