Making Communities Healthier Through Access to Nature
Our investments in recreational opportunities, active transportation infrastructure and thriving nature have resulted in a cleaner environment and contribute to happier, healthier lifestyles.
The leaders and the public of the Portland-Vancouver region recognize the need to invest in a built environment that promotes healthy lifestyles for all by offering more options to be physically active.Biking and walking for transportation and recreation have many clear health benefits and therefore planning for a future where everyone has access to nature and safe transportation options is imperative.
The Portland-Vancouver region is the epicenter of a movement to reshape cities into places that promote healthier lifestyles and community wellness. Every detail of how we live – from the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink to the trees we plant in our neighborhoods and the way we commute - has an impact on our collective wellbeing as a community. Intertwine Alliance partners are working to ensure our region is healthy, prosperous, and connected to the natural world.
Numerous studies have also shown the relationship between trees and nature and a person’s mental and physical health. Patients in hospitals heal more quickly if they have a view of trees and nature, neighbors are more likely to get out and walk and run through tree-lined communities, babies in tree-lined neighborhoods are more likely to have a healthy birth weight, and trees are essential for a person’s mental well being.
— Friends of Trees website
The Intertwine Alliance's vision of a connected system of trails, parks and natural areas offers an unparalleled opportunity to promote and encourage the daily physical activity necessary to combat a national epidemic of obesity and diabetes. The Portland-Vancouver region spends over $1 billion a year on health care related to obesity, but research shows that we save $155 million a year thanks to the physical activity, exercise and recreation that takes plane on The Intertwine. Our region's large public investment in parks, trails and programs that encourage physical activity makes our cities healthier, more productive and more livable.
A recent study in Lincoln, Nebraska estimated a return of $3.60 through public health benefits for every dollar spent on construction of walking and biking trails in the region.
Implementing The Intertwine vision promises to increase the number of people biking, walking, swimming and paddling. Additional benefits will be brought through the greening of our cities. The trees and plants that line the trails and fill the parks of the Intertwine aren’t just pretty; this "greenfrastructure" also plays an important role in providing clean air, water, and habitat for wildlife.
A number of local studies confirm the strong relationship between the built environment and an active lifestyle. Clark County Washington conducted a Health Impact Assessment in 2011 to analyze and evaluate the potential public health effects of implementing the Clark County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. Metro, Multnomah County and the nonprofit Upstream Public Health have undertaken similar studies. Considering the significant costs to society associated with reduced physical activity, it is crucial that our region continues to implement its vision for incorporating healthy living into the communities that we build.
Potential health gains of a shift from private motorized transport to walking, cycling and rapid transit/public transport include reduced cardiovascular and respiratory disease from air pollution, less traffic injury and less noise-related stress. In addition, large benefits are expected from increased physical activity, which can prevent some cancers, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other obesity-related risks.
— World Health Organization
(Health Co-benefits of Climate Change Mitigation)