The Shape-up Somerville partnership has a number of assets that make it a valuable contributor to the active living movement, including the community's small size, high population density, racial and ethnic diversity, and existing infrastructure, including the Somerville Community Path, Davis Square, and an excellent sidewalk and transit network. This partnership represents a model for urban communities working to connect diverse, lowincome populations to an existing active living infrastructure.

One of the main goals of the project is completing the Somerville Community Path and bringing its physical activity benefits to the lower income communities in East Somerville. The Somerville partnership hopes the development of the Community Path can help provide opportunities for increased physical activity and decrease the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension in their community. They hope to see more residents walking and bicycling, encourage seniors to be more active, and create a community where active transportation is no longer the alternative but the mainstream. The Path bisects the center of Somerville and provides a true non-motorized central artery for the community. The Path is a safe route to school for thousands of students, and it connects commuters to three of the four subway lines in Boston. The Path provides the region's densest city with a much needed linear park and connects a poor neighborhood with employment opportunities. In the future, the Path will connect to a new riverfront park and the existing Charles River path system.

The Partnership has made presentations to the Volunteer Health Advisors and the Immigrant Service Providers Network to introduce the active living philosophy and various opportunities to get involved. Locations and details about the active living infrastructure are being integrated into a citywide data gathering system, as well as into a mapping project undertaken by the local community development corporation. A key partner, the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers, sponsors activities such as a sixweek culinary class, dance classes for girls between the ages of eight and twelve, and yoga classes for seniors. The partnership is working with Mass Bay Transportation Authority, Cambridge Health Alliance, Vollmer Associates, Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and myriad community groups to discuss land rights, community needs, and potential design/impact studies for community path extension and waterfront access.

The partnership is assisting Somerville's Safe-Sustainable Transportation Assessment and Recommendation Team (Safe-START), which includes Tufts University, to assess locations throughout the city known to be high risk for pedestrians and bicyclists. The partnership also has worked with the Somerville Bicycle Committee to develop guidelines for instituting bicycle lanes and determine places where bicycle racks are needed. The partnership is hoping to work with the East Somerville Neighbors for Change, a multi-ethnic group led by the Somerville Community Corporation, that has identified safe pedestrian access to transportation and jobs as a priority.