1P Preparation Tactics

Develop and maintain a partnership, coalition, task force or advisory board that promotes active living[1].

Creating activity friendly communities is a challenge that requires participation and input from a variety of stakeholders and community members.  Developing a working partnership of citizens, advocates, community leaders and professionals from various disciplines ensures early and frequent involvement of relevant parties, and also increases public awareness for the Active Living initiative.  Seek representation from fields such as public health, health/medical providers, city planning, transportation, parks and recreation, landscape architecture, community development, housing, schools, elected officials, local government and the media, among other disciplines.  A diverse collaborative partnership ensures a range of contribution and constant feedback on interdisciplinary issues and challenges.  Urge local officials to create an Active Living advisory group to municipal or county boards.

Conduct neighborhood assessments to identify opportunities for and barriers to active living.

Communities must overcome many real and perceived barriers in order to implement Active Living changes.  To address barriers, advocates and decision makers require data and perceptions of the underlying obstacles to active living.  A neighborhood assessment uncovers important information about a community's strengths and needs in a way that helps communities articulate their values and preferences.  For this reason, the assessment results provide a valuable starting point in developing a culturally informed plan of action, allowing local leaders and officials to direct their assets towards the most critical needs and priorities.  A neighborhood assessment can also be a valuable first step in mobilizing residents to help transform their community.

Identify and evaluate current master plans, ordinances and design guidelines that affect active living.

Conducting an audit of relevant master plans, ordinances, and design guidelines will identify current standards or practices that limit or prevent Active Living from being implemented.  By identifying the regulations and practices that need to be modified, local leaders and advocates can collaborate to implement projects and policies that increase opportunities for physical activity in their communities.

Identify and generate financial and in-kind resources for your active living groups and projects through grant writing and other fund-raising efforts.

There are many opportunities to generate funding and in-kind resources for Active Living projects.  Often, funding is available for public education and communications, community based processes and demonstration projects, research and science, and capital improvements.  Many funding agencies provide grant writing guidelines for their programs.  Consider federal and state grant program for transportation, parks/recreation, trails, physical activity promotion, and other active living initiatives.  Additionally, look to local businesses, foundations, organizations or universities as potential resources for grants or in-kind donations.  The ability to successfully seek out financial opportunities will help you sustain your group's active living efforts into the future.  

Provide training for local active living advocates to build necessary skills for affecting community changes.

Local advocates may lack the specialized tools or expertise to work effectively within both local and regional contexts that affect Active Living.  Training builds advocates' abilities to accomplish various essential active living tactics, such as conducting neighborhood assessments, writing grants, social marketing, conducting focus groups, leading community events, and advocating for supportive policies and infrastructures.  Local advocates and volunteers, when equipped with the proper knowledge and skills, are invaluable allies in your active living partnership.

Create interest groups to promote active living environments, such as parks, trails, greenways, and higher density mixed-use developments.

Historically, NIMBY (Not-In-My-Backyard) neighborhood groups have rallied against change in their neighborhoods for fear of negative impacts on property value.  Housing developments, trails, parks, greenways and even sidewalks are often targets of NIMBY resistance.  In response, groups identified as YIMBY (Yes-In-My-Backyard) have started to advocate for affordable housing and more mixed-use developments in their cities and neighborhoods.  Like NIMBYs, YIMBY groups speak up at planning-department meetings, organize grassroots neighborhood actions and try to influence local land use decisions at the local level.  Because affordable, mixed-use projects accommodate walking and biking, a successful YIMBY group can be an invaluable way to advocate for physical projects that create more Active Living opportunities.

Create "Friends of the Trail" groups to build community ownership of trails and help maintain them.

Local stewardship can keep a trail clean and safe, and generate civic pride in the trail as a vital community resource.  "Friends of the Trail" groups promote local support by organizing citizens around a wide range of trail-related activities.  Often group members volunteer to visit sections periodically and act as its 'eyes and ears,' or make presentations on behalf of the trail, either to promote its use or to lobby against conflicting land-use proposals.  Groups may also host events on the trail to promote increased trail use and physical activity among community members of all ages and abilities.  The objective is to make the trail an integral part of the community, an asset that community members actively use and preserve.