Communities

At a Glance

Adults 25 years and older without high school diploma:

18%

Demographic Profile:

White (76%), African American (19%), Latino (2%)

Income below the federal poverty line:

22%

Population:

701,500

Louisville, KY

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Lead Agency:

Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness

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About

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Louisville/Jefferson County Metro is the largest city in Kentucky, a mix of urban, suburban and rural areas along the Ohio River. A recent groundswell of activity around childhood obesity prevention has primed Louisville for real change on the issue. Significant efforts already are under way to develop a network of walking trails and bike paths, support urban gardening and provide children with safe routes to school.

Yet the city faces a number of interrelated social, economic and health challenges. The city's education rates are low. Not surprisingly given the high prevalence of obesity among children and adults, its overall death rates for heart disease and stroke are higher than national averages.

The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness will use its Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities grant to target 12 underserved neighborhoods in northwest Louisville and the city's east downtown. All are older neighborhoods with limited access to fresh, healthy foods as well as safety and environmental problems that discourage physical activity.

The local coalition wants to:

Provide venues for pedestrian and bicycle transportation routes that connect neighborhoods to recreational, commercial and educational centers;
Expand outreach efforts and funding sources for Safe Routes to School (SRTS) and institutionalize SRTS strategies within the school system;
Boost opportunities to grow fresh produce at community gardens and even to exercise at the gardens; and
Improve infrastructure, systems and policies to increase healthy food options through corner stores, seasonal and year-round farmers' markets, mobile markets and other special programs.

Project director Marigny Bostock expects the partnership will "zone in" on the new neighborhoods to quickly begin making an impact. And she'll measure success "when kids are going into these corner stores we're hoping to work with and asking for healthier options."

With enough kids, enough interest and perhaps even growing customer pressure, Bostock envisions this future: Corner stores and other convenience marts will have to cut back on the processed fare and junk food to sell more fresh fruits and vegetables.

"That’s the dream," she says.

The HKHC Louisville partnership created this video for the HKHC Grantee Meeting

HKHC Louisville Story from Sarah Strunk on Vimeo

Summary

The purpose of the project is to increase active living and healthy eating in twelve neighborhoods by improving walkability and increasing access to healthy foods through a corner store and food systems strategy. Deliverables include performing assessments and establishing benchmarks in target neighborhoods through Photovoice and walkability tools, focusing on infrastructure changes in the built environment to promote active living; advancing changes in the physical environment that support physical activity like connecting neighborhoods with the Louisville Loop and expanding Safe Routes to School efforts; developing a technical guide for expanding corner store conversions; strengthening and expanding farmer’s markets and engaging residents in assessing and improving Louisville’s food systems.

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En Espanol

Louisville/Jefferson County Metro es la ciudad más grande de Kentucky, una mezcla de áreas urbanas, suburbanas y rurales a lo largo del río Ohio. Un clamor popular reciente de actividad relacionada a la prevención de la obesidad infantil ha preparado a Louisville para un verdadero cambio en el tema. Se están llevando a cabo importantes esfuerzos para desarrollar una red de sendas peatonales y bicisendas, dar apoyo a los huertos urbanos y brindar rutas seguras a las escuelas para los niños.

Sin embargo, la ciudad enfrenta una cantidad de desafíos sociales, económicos y de salud estrechamente relacionados. Las tasas de educación de la ciudad son bajas. Dado el alto predominio de obesidad entre niños y adultos, no sorprende que las tasas de mortalidad por enfermedades cardíacas y apoplejías sean más altas que los promedios nacionales.

La Secretaría de Salud Pública y Bienestar de Louisville Metro usará su subsidio Niños saludables, comunidades saludables para dirigirse a 12 vecindarios desatendidos en el noroeste de Louisville y el este del centro de la ciudad. Todos son vecindarios antiguos con acceso limitado a alimentos frescos y saludables como también con problemas de seguridad y medioambientales que ponen un freno a la actividad física.

La coalición local quiere:

Brindar lugar para las sendas para peatones y bicicletas que conecten vecindarios con centros recreativos, educativos y comerciales.
Expandir el alcance de los esfuerzos y los recursos financieros para Rutas Seguras a las Escuelas (SRTS, por sus siglas en inglés) e institucionalizar las estrategias SRTS dentro del sistema educativo.
Estimular las oportunidades de cultivar productos frescos en huertos comunitarios e incluso ejercitarse en los huertos.
Mejorar la infraestructura, los sistemas y las políticas para incrementar las opciones en alimentos saludables a través de las tiendas, los mercados de agricultores permanentes y de estación, mercados móviles y otros programas especiales.

La directora del proyecto Marigny Bostock espera que la sociedad se dirija a los nuevos vecindarios para comenzar rápidamente a tener un impacto. Y medirá el éxito “cuando los niños vayan a las tiendas y pidan alimentos más saludables”.

Con suficientes niños, suficiente interés y tal vez aún una mayor presión de los clientes, Bostock pronostica este futuro: Las tiendas y otros supermercados tendrán que reducir la comida procesada y la comida chatarra para vender más frutas frescas y verduras.

“Ese es el sueño”, indica ella.

Datos clave

Población: 701.500
Perfil demográfico: Blancos (76%), Afroamericanos (19%), Latinos (2%)
Ingresos bajo la línea federal de pobreza: 22%
Adultos mayores de 25 años sin un título secundario: 18%
Porcentaje de niños o adolescentes con sobrepeso u obesos: No aplica

Community Map

“We’ll know we’re making a difference when kids are going into the corner stores and asking for healthier options.”

Marigny Bostock, project director

Video

Louisville, KY