Cross-county collaborative land-use planning to create supportive environments for physical activity in Miami-Dade County

This paper describes a collaborative initiative geared at increasing active transportation and recreation through improvements in built environment planning, policy development and implementation. The project seeks to effect improvements to the County's existing Open Space Master Plan, Urban Design Manuals, physical changes to streets (countywide signage system, bicycle facilities, and sharrows) and the creation of a countywide Safe Routes to Schools policy. It is anticipated that there will be improvements to the level of service standards for parks and recreation and incorporation of the “Great Streets Planning Principles” and “Complete Street's components into county development plans. Other outcomes expected include improved access to meaningful opens space in the public realm, safer and user friendly streets through physical enhancements in the targeted high risk areas and enactment of a Safe Routes to Schools Policy in Miami-Dade County. This paper will provide a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the system and environment change approach to creating built environments that support physical activity and highlight initial successes and barriers in achieving the desired improvements. Through this paper we hope to demonstrate the value of planning for built environment improvements across sectors/agencies to effect sustainable environment change that facilitates improved health outcomes.