Maine Physical Activity & Nutrition Program
2010 Active Communities Conference
Walking, Biking, Physical Activity and the Built Environment
Attractive Tourist Destinations: Walkable, Bikable Downtowns: See how towns across the country have made walking and biking improvements to attract tourists to their communities. Part of the session will be dedicated to a group discussion about local issues participants are facing.
Success Stories: Infrastructure Changes to Support Physical Activity: Come learn what Bethel and Lisbon are doing to create places for walking, biking and other forms of physical activity. Hear about challenges, successes and how they got things done!
Planning Quality Communities: Engaging School and Town Leaders: Come learn about planning strategies to improve the built environment for walking and biking, including School Travel Plans and Municipal Bicycle Pedestrian Plans. Examples will include long-range planning, creating partnerships, changing policies and ordinances, project implementation and evaluation.
Encouraging Active Lifestyles: Great physical activity facilities are only valuable if people are using them. This session will highlight several kinds of physical activity encouragement programs that are being offered around the state, including Safe Routes to School, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Education and efforts of the Healthy Maine Partnerships.
- Physical Activity Encouragement Programs, Presented by Rebecca Drewette-Card, MSPH, Public Health Partners, LLC
- A List of Physical Activity Encouragement Programs in Maine
Funding Your Project: Applications 101: What are organizations looking for when they decide which applications to fund? Come find out what types of funding opportunities there are and how to be successful.
The Health Case for Improving the Built Environment: There are many reasons to improve the built environment, and community health is one of the most important. Presenters will outline some of the key health issues impacted by the way our communities are built.
Downtown Bikability Audit: Cross the bridge and tour downtown Lewiston by bike to discuss the facilitators and inhibitors for safe bicycling. The group will identify potential solutions to improve the bicycle infrastructure. Bring your own bike and helmet.
Downtown Walking Audit: Walk downtown Auburn and discuss how pedestrian-friendly the area is. Identify what aspects of the built environment promote or support walking and what improvements could be made.
Auburn Riverwalk Tour: Participate in a walk along the Auburn Riverwalk, a recently completed downtown bike and pedestrian trail that has helped transform Auburn’s downtown. This tour will include a discussion on how the project was planned and built.
The Active Communities Conference is part of Maine’s Action Communities for Health, Innovation & EnVironmental ChangE (ACHIEVE) Initiative and MaineDOT Quality Community Program.
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