Equitable Change in Community Built Environments for Family Health: REACH River Rouge Project

The health of children and families is impacted by economic and social conditions of their environment and by neighborhood infrastructure, which can afford or restrict opportunities for physical activity and play. Awareness of the established systems and policies in a community can build capacity for community-driven change. This chapter draws on the work of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Food & Fitness community partnerships and includes a case study of current work in Southeast Michigan through the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health [REACH] program. REACH, funded by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and led by the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, works to end health disparities by partnering with racial and ethnic minority communities to make healthy choices easier. Creating opportunities for physical activity in communities with few resources involves operating through a lens of equity, using community-driven and systems thinking approaches, assessing the current environment, identifying and prioritizing potential efforts, and evaluating and disseminating community changes. Strategies include making improvements to local parks, trails, greenways and water ways; improving connectivity, safety, street design, and incentives for transit and nonmotorized transportation; and creating opportunities for increased physical activity within school systems. Future research and evaluation related to active living and the built environment must explicitly consider efforts that will create and maintain equitable access to opportunities for physical activity for families and children.