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Upcoming Events
- Association of Idaho Cities Annual Conference
- Date: June 20-22, 2012
Location: Boise, ID - 5th Annual Idaho Green Expo
- Date: June 23-24, 2012
Location: Garden City, ID - FHWA ID Livable Idaho Webinar Series
- Date: Thursday June 28th, 2012
Time: 10-11am MST
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Latest News
» Grassroots Community Planning in Small Cities: New Resource
May 04, 2012
New study from the Orton Family Foundation discusses stewardship of grassroots community planning in small cities and towns. Fellow Steven Ames examined communities in Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, New Hampshire and Minnesota, and highlights the 25 best practices that communities can use to sustain their planning and engagement efforts over the long-haul.
Check it out: http://www.orton.org/resources/stewardship_study
» Building Blocks for A Better Community
May 01, 2012
Join us on May 9 for a workshop or open house in Pocatello
With gas prices going up do you wish you had more choices for getting around your community? Do you feel safe walking and biking on the streets? If you would like to learn how your streets can be safer and more efficient for ALL types of transportation and help transform them into vibrant active places join us for a Complete Streets workshop in Pocatello, May 9th. You have three options depending upon your level of interest and availability. Location for all sessions will be at Pocatello City Hall.
Ø A lunch workshop that provides an overview of Complete Streets as part of a healthy and sustainable community, 11:30 am -1:00 pm
Ø A technical workshop where we’ll delve deeper in to design solutions by going outside to look at some of Pocatello’s challenges. 1:15 – 4:15 pm
Ø An Open House where you can look at the results of the technical workshop, learn more about complete streets and have one on one conversations with the presenters and others. 5:00 – 6:00 pm
For the WORKSHOPS, RSVP to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 208-333-8066.
Workshop handout- click here
» Idaho Smart Growth Publishes Safe Routes to Schools Best Practices in Idaho!
April 03, 2012
Did you know that we are raising the first generation of kids with statistically lower life spans than their parents? (1) Why? One reason is that “about only one quarter of adolescents meet current recommendations for at least one hour of moderate intensity physical activity a day.” (2) The most significant loss is in routine activity. The solution goes beyond just “more time at the gym”- significant improvements can be achieved by increasing routine activity levels as well, doing things like walking or biking to school.
By focusing our attention on making it easier for kids to walk and bike to school safely, we can address both the obesity epidemic in Idaho and make sure our communities are great places to live. By using planning tools, we can make sure we build our communities the right way from the start, and by looking to other communities in Idaho, we can find creative inspiring solutions with an Idaho twist.
Idaho Smart Growth, through funding from the Idaho Department of Transportation and the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health, Inc., has compiled a review of city policies relating to Safe Routes to Schools and published a guide on Safe Routes to Schools Best practices in Idaho. (3) If you would like a hard copy of the Best Practices, call our office at 208-333-8066 to arrange a time to pick one up.
(1) (Mark Fenton presentation, Meridian, ID, 11-9-11)
(2) (Mark Fenton, citing Centers for Disease Control, Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2004)
(3) These publications do not necessarily represent the views of the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health, Inc, Foundation staff, or its Board of Directors.