Overview
Healthy Places: Designing an Active Colorado is an initiative to inspire and support the development of healthy communities. Through community-led processes, Healthy Places will help Colorado communities become healthier places to live, work and play. The initiative aims to increase physical activity by fostering a built environment where it is easier, safer and more appealing to walk, play and engage in daily activities that encourage movement, connection and fun.
Cycle One
In 2012, the following three communities were selected to participate in the Healthy Places initiative:
- The southeast portion of Arvada (a suburb in metro Denver)
- Lamar (a small town in rural southeastern Colorado)
- Westwood (an urban neighborhood in southwest Denver)
These communities were chosen based on need, location diversity and existing level of community activism and interest.
To kick off the initiative, each community participated in a week-long panel process with the Urban Land Institute (ULI). ULI’s expert panelists assessed community needs, interviewed stakeholders and generated initial project recommendations for building communities that promote physically active lifestyles.
Read more and find additional resources for cycle one of the Healthy Places initiative here.
Cycle Two
In 2018, the following four communities were awarded grant funding to take part in a second cycle of the Healthy Places initiative:
- Colorado Springs (with a focus on the city’s southeast Hillside neighborhood)
- Commerce City (a suburb in northeast Metro Denver with 55,000 residents)
- Greeley (with a focus on the city’s East Memorial neighborhood)
- Montbello (an urban neighborhood in northeast Denver)
To reflect the Foundation’s cornerstones, the new funding opportunity included criteria to ensure that proposed plans are both community-informed and improve health by addressing need-based disparities.
Details on these four communities’ specific projects coming in 2019.
Additional information
For questions regarding Healthy Places, please contact Chris Smith, senior program officer, 303-953-3661.