A city (or county) is not an accident but the result of coherent visions and aims

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Planning for active lifestyles also benefits the elderly. The “aging in place” concept focuses on enabling seniors to stay in their 
own homes and communities. Also known as Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORC), these areas prioritize 
creating walkable communities to accommodate their needs and provide access to full services such as stores, clinics, and 
social programming. 
Furthermore, providing parks and natural recreation opportunities and access to green space is vital to good health, allowing 
easy access to physical activity and relief from urban stress. The presence of quality park amenities, proper maintenance and 
upkeep, physical activity programming, and conditions free of crime, all can greatly impact community use of parks and their 
potential to improve community health. As more compact development occurs, it is important to ensure access to adequate 
green space for all community members. In locations that have limited green space or existing infrastructure, innovative 
public-private partnerships or agreements such as joint use or 
shared use agreements
 with schools, places of worship, or other 
private property can be a mechanism to increase access to safe places where the community, particularly children, can be active. 
Policy guidance exists specifically for working with school districts.
xxiv
 Considering safety and social cohesion are also necessary 
components to supporting physical activity. See a further discussion in the 
Healthy Community Chapter
. 
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Intent of Analysis
Recommended Data
Obesity is caused by many factors, but lack of access to healthy foods 
and physical activity are significant contributors. Examining baseline 
status can help with policy decisions around active transportation, 
recreation priorities, and food system policies.
Obesity (child and adult) prevalence
These diseases, also caused by many factors, are often associated 
with obesity.  Examining baseline status can help with policy decisions 
around active transportation, recreation priorities, and food system 
policies.
Secondary diseases from obesity (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, 
heart disease, type 2 diabetes prevalence)
Many accidents involving pedestrians and bicycles could be improved 
through infrastructure, design, and signage.  Examining a baseline can 
inform policy and planning for transit routes, active transportation, and 
safety.
Unintentional injury such as pedestrian and bicycle accidents
Walk trips is a behavior that benefits health and is influenced by the 
environment.  Examining a baseline number can help inform active 
transportation and for climate change and resiliency policy.
Walk trips per capita
Children walking, biking, or rolling to school is a behavior that can 
improve health and is influenced by the environmental conditions such 
as distance to school and safety. Examining the baseline condition can 
inform policy priorities around active transportation, active design, 
school siting, and housing siting.
Percent of children who walk, bike, roll to school
Commuting decisions also can be influenced by connectivity, cost and 
ease of use. Active transportation can have positive health benefits 
since people are able to achieve higher physical activity.  Examining the 
baseline can inform policy priorities around active transportation, mixed 
use developments, job locations, and housing locations.
Percent of commuters who use active transportation
Mapping baseline walk and bike conditions can help create a more 
connected network for improved use.
Walk and bike maps
Mapping baseline conditions can help identify areas that could benefit 
from improved transportation options
Public transit facilities
Safety in the neighborhood can impact social stress and influence 
whether people will be active.  Establishing a baseline condition can 
help inform safety policies such as crime prevention through environ-
mental design.
Percent of people that feel safe in their neighborhoods

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Promote Civil Engagement in the Public Decision Making Process
Requirement Description:
The environmental justice element must identify objectives and policies to identify objectives and policies to promote civil 
engagement in the public decision making process.
The 
Community Engagement and Outreach chapter
 provides detailed guidance on ways to effectively engage with the 
community.  Community Engagement is a fundamental part of any general plan update to inform the community vision. It is 
particularly important with respect to environmental justice because it allows communities that have often not been included 
in the planning process to be engaged to improve their community. As discussed in the Community Engagement and Outreach 
Chapter, EJ groups can be considered to be part of an advisory board or participate in specific stakeholder engagement meetings.  
Additionally, while setting up the outreach paying attention to issues such as literacy, socioeconomic status, languages spoken, 
age, local history, and cultural norms are all important.   
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Intent of Analysis
Recommended Data
This can help assess different segments of the population.  For instance, 
elderly populations might need more time to cross the street or need 
specific accommodations to use public transit. Understanding the pop-
ulation distribution and locations in the community can help both with 
engagement and planning to track and analyze risk of displacement
Population by age
Understanding the ethnic distribution throughout the city and/or county 
can help inform languages used in outreach and cultural considerations 
for engagement.
Population by race/ethnicity
Understanding the languages spoken in the area covered by the general 
plan can help inform how to design outreach and engagement oppor-
tunities.
Languages spoken 
Prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of disadvantaged communities
Requirement Description:
The environmental justice element must identify objectives and policies to prioritize improvements and programs that address 
the needs of disadvantaged communities. 
Many disadvantaged areas have not had sufficient support in terms of improvements and programs. Establishing specific 
policies to elevate improvements and program needs for disadvantaged communities is a strategy to improve access to 
opportunities, health, and well-being. The objectives and policies will depend on other areas prioritized by the local community 
for improvement. 

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