Prevention Institute in Oakland, Calif., convened 19 academics, community advocates, policy-makers and representatives of foundations to identify and assess strategies to improve access to healthy foods and safe places for physical activity in low-income neighborhoods. They met for a day and a half in January 2006 in San Francisco.

Key Results

• Prevention Institute created a report from the meeting entitled Creating Neighborhood Environments That Support Healthy Eating & Physical Activity: Strategies For Change. The report is a guide to investments and projects in low-income neighborhoods.
  
  It presents 15 strategies to improve access to healthy foods and safe places for physical activity in low-income neighborhoods, including six priority strategies.
  
  Priority strategies for physical activity:
  • Promote an atmosphere of safety.
  • Design streets to support pedestrians and bicyclists.
  • Maintain and develop programming and facilities, particularly parks, for active play and recreation.
  
  Priority strategies for nutrition:
  • Support an increase in the number of supermarkets and full-service grocery stores.
  • Enhance small neighborhood stores.
  • Support an increase in the number of farmers' markets.

Funding

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) provided $75,000 to support this unsolicited project from 2005 to 2006. The California Endowment cosponsored the project.

After The Grant

Under another RWJF grant, Prevention Institute has worked to develop an advocacy strategy for healthy eating and active living (ID# 060015, March 2007–February 2008).