Make Changes in Your Community

What Can You Do to Make Your Community Healthier?

As a community member, you have the power to advocate for healthy changes where you live. Start by bringing together a group of friends and neighbors, and talking about what needs to change. Share your vision with neighborhood groups, elected officials and the agencies in your city or town that are responsible for the areas that need improvement. Change is possible – and as a matter of fact,  community advocates have made great strides all around the country. We've provided some stories of Massachusetts communities that have been successful in making healthy changes.

As a policy maker, you’re in a unique position to implement changes that make your community healthier. Creating healthy environments cannot be done by any one organization. Take the opportunity to work with community coalitions to identify and prioritize changes. Bring together a cross-section of agencies including planning, housing, transportation, schools, public health and public safety to address the issues in a comprehensive way.  Consider public-private partnerships to help make policies and initiatives a reality.

Whether you are a policy maker or an interested community member, below are some resources that can help you get started.

Promising Strategies for Creating Healthy Eating and Active Living Environments
PolicyLink presents a comprehensive and cross-cutting review of policy, strategy, and program recommendations to create healthy eating and active living environments. This review draws from the most prominent and promising strategies for change at local, state and national levels.

Strategies for Enhancing the Built Environment
PolicyLink outlines a range of organizational practices and public policies being considered to improve the built environment in support of healthy eating and regular physical activity. It reflects diverse perspectives of professionals and advocates working on various aspects of the built environment.

Make Your Community More Bikeable
Learn more about the range of common challenges that bicyclists may experience, and help  individuals and organizations to identify concerns, connect with people who can help address those concerns, and build partnerships to improve conditions for biking.

Make Your Community More Walkable
Learn about resources to address a range of common pedestrian challenges by helping individuals and organizations to identify concerns, connect with people who can help address those concerns, and build partnerships to improve conditions for walking.  Use the Walkability Checklist to figure out if your neighborhood is a friendly place to walk. Then, use the toolkit to start to make improvements.

Start “Walk/Ride Days” through the Green Streets Initiative
Green Streets sponsors monthly Walk/Ride Days which serve as an easy introduction to active transportation and other environmental and health efforts in a festive, community-building way.

Healthy Eating by Design
Active Living by Design provides information about how some communities have made changes that help people eat better.

Start a Community Garden
Learn about the steps you need to take to get a community garden started in your neighborhood.

Learn from Communities Who Have Taken Steps in the Right Direction
Find out about communities that are taking steps to help their residents eat better and move more.