Improving the Health and Safety Disinvested Urban Communities

Detroit residents, like many other urban communities around the United States suffer from high rates of preventable disease. Positive changes in the built environment, through increased safety and accessibility, have been identified as methods for reducing obesity-related disease trends. However, disinvestment in large metropolitan cities has made effective built environment policy action very difficult. In addition, cities suffering from a history of disinvestment, such as Detroit, have other significant concerns requiring immediate attention, namely safety, service provision, and employment. The Detroit Food and Fitness Collaborative (DFFC) has had a pivotal role in changing the built environment of Detroit. In direct response to the disinvestment in Detroit, the DFFC Active Living Workgroup has invested in neighborhood-based physical activity programs and engaged in policy development and advocacy to help improve Detroiters’ health and safety, and the city’s built environment.

Since the start of the DFFC Active Living Workgroup in 2009 and the Detroit Greenways Coalition and other aligned initiatives, the built environment in Detroit has greatly improved. Detroit has seen over 140 miles of bike lanes added, miles of greenways added and planned, and numerous crosswalks repaired according to ADA compliance.

We will share stories of Detroit residents who have utilized built environment amenities and have reduced blood pressure and blood sugar levels as well as reduced their dependence on medication. We will discuss how a coalition’s focus can evolve to better meet community needs. We will describe how to accomplish built environment-related goals in the context of pressing community issues.