By Brett Rosenberg
February 11, 2008

The Sustainable Development Task Force, with a broad scope and agenda, met January 24 to explore new ideas to create and maintain safe, inclusive, environmentally healthy communities that provide jobs and opportunities for citizens for now and well into the future. In a special joint session, the Sustainable Development Task Force and the Mayors Healthy Cities Initiative discussed the linkage between sustainability and creating healthy communities through land use planning, walkable communities, farm to school lunch programs, and zero waste events.

Santa Barbara (CA) Mayor Marty Blum, task force Co-Chair, convened the session with a brief description of how her community is progressing toward a 70 percent landfill diversion goal; that is, reusing, reclaiming or recycling 70 percent of all commercial and residential waste. While currently at 65 percent, Blum noted that each incremental percentage is more difficult to achieve. One strategy her city has undertaken is waste-free public events. Instead of providing trash cans, there are only bins for compostable materials and recyclables. Any food is served on plates or bowls made from biodegradable sugar cane and cutlery is made of potato starch. As Blum said, “It’s a fun thing for the city to do to lead by example.”

Following Blum’s remarks, Co-Chair Oak Park (IL) Mayor David Pope introduced Somerville (MA) Mayor Joseph Curtatone, who provided an overview of the nationally acclaimed Shape Up Somerville program. The program is a three-year environmental change “intervention” whose goal is to prevent obesity in a culturally and ethnically diverse community. Shape Up focuses on 1st – 3rd graders, and through a collaborative approach, encourages safe, walkable routes to area schools; healthy school menus; and choices to encourage healthy lifestyles by the “Eat Smart, Play Hard” philosophy, as Curtatone put it.

Curtatone also remarked on how the Shape Up program has granted the city the opportunity to focus on similar programs in the community. In 2006, Curtatone established the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability & Environment and tasked it with the mission developing and implementing a comprehensive environmental vision and agenda.

Pope introduced Minneapolis (MN) Mayor R.T. Rybak, who recapped a presentation he made at the Mayors Climate Protection Summit last fall in Seattle. That presentation focused on historical land use trends in cities and Minneapolis’s commitment to sustainable land use through encouraging more people to live in the city and creating transportation options such as bike paths, and working with surrounding communities to support light rail.

Rybak’s remarks focused initially on how early development in most major American cities took place along streetcar lines, with relatively high mixed-use density. As time passed, streetcar lines gave way to the car; strip malls and shopping centers replaced the traditional developments and cities hemorrhaged residents to outlying areas, often at the expense of local character and economies.

More recently, however, many cities have recognized the benefits of increased density along commercial corridors, such as better transit options and reduced infrastructure and energy costs. Rybak also noted that now, people often want to live in denser, closer-in places. Unfortunately, as Rybak said, “Cities have been swimming upstream.” Challenges to increasing mixed use density, in the forms of zoning codes and resistance on other fronts often hinder redevelopment. Rybak stated, “We are pro growth; we just want it to occur in a better way,” also cited a couple of examples of overcoming challenges to recreating new, more sustainable cities. He noted that Seattle is reweaving communities with transportation options that take into account a post-oil era that also protects the climate. He also mentioned that several neighborhoods in Minneapolis are competing for design teams to create areas that better connect people to each other and their city, noting also that childhood obesity really says a lot about how we plan our communities.

The session concluded with a presentation by Gary Cuneen, Executive Director of Seven Generations Ahead, whose mission is to build ecologically sustainable and healthy communities. Based in Oak Park (IL), Cuneen spoke of the Fresh From the Farm Program, which aims to increase healthy eating habits among students and their parents; increase student learning about the environment as it relates to agriculture, and the connection between their health and nutrition and the growing of food; and support local farmers raising food in ecologically responsible ways.

Cuneen noted that, “The whole convergence of sustainable cities and healthy cities is exactly what Fresh From the Farm is about.” The program brings together local community stakeholders, such as students and their parents, educators, procurement specialists, farmers and naturalists, all in order to provide healthy options for students and providing sustainable linkages among members of the community.

On a less abstract level, Cuneen said that the in a country where prisoners outnumber farmers and the lack of nutrients negatively affects learning, Fresh From the Farm promotes variety, flavor and nutrition while supporting the local agricultural economy.