“Everyone Should Be Able to Choose How They Get Around”: How Topeka, Kansas, Passed a Complete Streets Resolution

Details

• Journal Article:
  Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD)
• Personal Author:
  Dodson, Elizabeth A. ; Langston, Marvin ; Cardick, Lauren C. ; Johnson, Nancy ; Clayton, Paula ; Brownson, Ross C.
• Description:
  Background
  
  Regular physical activity can help prevent chronic diseases, yet only half of US adults meet national physical activity guidelines. One barrier to physical activity is a lack of safe places to be active, such as bike paths and sidewalks. Complete Streets, streets designed to enable safe access for all users, can help provide safe places for activity.
  
  Community Context
  
  This community case study presents results from interviews with residents and policymakers of Topeka, Kansas, who played an integral role in the passage of a Complete Streets resolution in 2009. It describes community engagement processes used to include stakeholders, assess existing roads and sidewalks, and communicate with the public and decision-makers.
  
  Methods
  
  Key informant interviews were conducted with city council members and members of Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods in Topeka to learn how they introduced a Complete Streets resolution and the steps they took to ensure its successful passage in the City Council. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by using focused-coding qualitative analysis.
  
  Outcome
  
  Results included lessons learned from the process of passing the Complete Streets resolution and advice from participants for other communities interested in creating Complete Streets in their communities.
  
  Interpretation
  
  Lessons learned can apply to other communities pursuing Complete Streets. Examples include clearly defining Complete Streets; educating the public, advocates, and decision-makers about Complete Streets and how this program enhances a community; building a strong and diverse network of supporters; and using stories and examples from other communities with Complete Streets to build a convincing case.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Bicycling City Planning Community Case Study Humans Public Policy Transportation Walking
• Source:
  Prev Chronic Dis. 11.
• DOI:
  http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd11.130292
• ISSN:
  1545-1151
• Pubmed ID:
  24556251
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC3938956
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  1R01CA124404-01/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; 5R18DP001139-02/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States ; P30 DK092950/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States ; U48/DP001903/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States
• Place as Subject:
  Kansas
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  11
• Collection(s):
  Preventing Chronic Disease
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3d2433ffacf77bb234883492c31f8f2b43fe8532875bc0f572b57245f22d3e4b635a40a70859d84c6c9beac84863fbba698e5ceb2777b37d6a6a774aedab73b6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/22052/cdc_22052_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 367.73 KB ]