Healthy Communities

Nonprofits are increasingly transitioning to working remotely, in part to address longer commutes and tighter budgets. Virtual offices provide opportunities to meet these challenges as well as perks that nurture employee satisfaction and engagement. Healthy Places by Design and the Safe Routes Partnership have leveraged this structure to better serve our staff and clients. We recently connected to compare notes.

This guest blog post is written by Jared Mummert, Program Specialist, National Recreation and Park Association

We congratulate Representatives Julia Brownley (D-CA-26) and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13) for introducing the Safe and Friendly for the Environment (SAFE) Streets Act.  H.R. 3040 would help make sure that federal safety funds are directed towards projects that make walking and rolling safer.

The old tennis courts at Homestead Park in Youngstown, Ohio, secluded from other well-lit parts of the park, started attracting illegal activity in the late afternoons and lasting through the night. With no fence to control access, people would drive over the sidewalk and park on the courts to drink and party, with occasional fights and even shootings breaking out. Residents would often wake up to find broken glass, trash, and drug paraphernalia littered around the courts, including on the sidewalk, which connects the park with two nearby elementary schools and a playground.