"Healthy Chula Vista": Creating a community that supports healthy and active living through environmental design

This paper presents the in-progress results of cross-sector work that has led to transforming the political climate to embrace health as a goal for the city of Chula Vista, making it a leader in the creation of a community that supports healthy and active living through environmental design. The western section of Chula Vista is a low income neighborhood with high levels of poverty, ethnic diversity, and a large number of young children predominantly Latino. West Chula Vista is in the midst of a redevelopment phase. Working collectively on the vision for a “Healthy Chula Vista,” HEAC partners, including representatives from health care, schools, county health and human services, city government, Walk San Diego, the County Obesity Action Plan, YMCA, local residents, and local, county and state policymakers, have realized several city-wide policy changes. The decision-making processes within the city, moreover, will now incorporate health as a goal and consideration, through appointment of the Chula Vista HEAC to a seat on the City of Chula Vista Redevelopment Advisory Committee RAC. The South Bay Partnership has also been extremely influential in the City of Chula Vista's general plan process, and subsequent planning regarding various area-specific plans. The collaborative was successful in persuading the City to create an additional section to the City's General Plan, entitled "Planning for Healthy Communities" - which ensures that the City will work to improve the nutrition environments throughout the City as well as access to recreation opportunities and resources.