Moving on down the road: The status of Livable Streets policy implementation in Missouri communities

Adoption of Complete or Livable Streets policies has grown tremendously in the last decade. As of early 2014, Missouri has passed 23 Livable Streets policies since 2003. Though policy adoption is an important first step toward creating safer, more livable places to live, work, and play, moving into the next phase of policy implementation is equally crucial in enacting change. In partnership with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, this study examined the implementation process, challenges, and progress of Missouri Livable Streets policies. Twenty-one key stakeholders representing 15 communities of various sizes and two regional organizations with Livable Streets policies participated in semi-structured, phone interviews from April to June 2013. Participants discussed actions taken to implement the policies along with facilitators and barriers in the implementation process. Interviews were coded according to pre-specified themes derived from the literature and other themes, concepts and ideas raised by interviewees.  Consistent with previous research and case studies, participants confirmed the significance of stakeholder support, funding, and infrastructure in determining implementation success. Theme comparisons revealed implementation varies among communities by policy type (e.g., resolution, ordinance, or long range plan) and town size with large towns and communities with ordinances taking more actions. These findings suggest the influence of varying community contexts and policy attributes on Livable Streets policy implementation, underscoring the need for a clear, actionable steps for addressing implementation barriers and continuing momentum passed the policy adoption stage.