Piney-Z Plantation Memo

Daily life in the northern United States took on the hustle and bustle of a modern economy which can be seen in articles from the Valley Spirit. In the article “Chambersburg and Gettysburg Railroad,” the citizens of Fayetteville are interested in building a railroad linking the two towns. Fayetteville’s citizens have already contributed eighty dollars towards having the path surveyed and would like for the citizens of Franklin County to donate the remaining fifty dollars to have the project completed in a timely manner (Chambersburg and Gettysburg Railroad). The editors of this article express great confidence in Franklin County’s citizen’s will to support this project (Chambersburg and Gettysburg Railroad).This article shows the mind set of northern Americans and their willingness to work together to modernize and improve the infrastructure of their towns and cities. Another example of this mindset and desire to improve the infrastructure can be seen in the article “For the Valley Spirit,” which talks about the construction of a bridge crossing the Franklin

There are many people who dislike working out or doing anything productive. I personally hate working out. I’m obviously overweight and still refuse to workout. I used to run around the park that’s close from my house; however, it was hard to no eat fast food. It’s unhealthy to eat and not do any physical activity. Keeping active can help people stay at a healthy weight or lose weight. According to a 2016 article in the Chicago Tribune, “Physical activity levels are declining not only in wealthy countries, such as the U.S., but also in low- and middle-income countries, such as China. And it’s clear that this decline in physical activity is a key contributor to the global obesity epidemic” (Wade). This clearly shows that the lack of not doing any physical activity contributes to obesity. Before there wasn’t a lot of cases of obesity, but now it seems to be unstoppable. People used to ride horses or walk to get to their destination, now most of America drive cars. Driving your car everywhere you go is not healthy because you are lacking physical activity and in doing so contributes to obesity. According to Wade, “About 40 percent of U.S. schoolchildren walked or rode their bikes to school in 1969; by 2001, only 13 percent did so.” This show the decline of physical activity. My aunt once told me that before she learned how to drive, she would walk it mostly everywhere. She didn’t have a car and the only

Majority of the community in Stockton lacked health insurance prior to Obama Care going into effect in 2014. Even though low-income families are now able to receive insurance at affordable costs or no cost at all, there are many health challenges within the community. Physical inactivity and unhealthy eating habits have led to obesity and multiple chronic diseases. According to the San Joaquin County Community Health Assessment Collaborative report (SJC2HAC) “diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and hypertension were consistently mentioned in the qualitative data as priority health concerns for the residents in the Communities for Concern” (SJC2HAC, pg.23, 2011). Five out of the ten communities for concern were Stockton zip codes. Unhealthy eating habits can be blamed due to the community of Stockton not having healthy retail outlets or access to fresh fruit/ farmers markets. Another reason why eating healthier is a challenge in this community is that fresh and healthy food is more costly. With households not making enough income, it is more convenient to grab fast food that is cheaper. “One of the largest barriers to engagement in physical activity is access to a recreational area” (SJC2HAC, pg.36, 2011). Some of Stockton’s rural areas may not have parks that are near by which can make it harder

Outdoors and nature have proven to improve an individual’s physical and mental health, however the population of the United States have disconnected from the outdoors causing a rise in health issues such as obesity, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and other chronic diseases (Bates & Stone, 2015). Obesity is defined as a disorder involving excessive amounts of body fat that can increase risks for health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some leading causes of preventable death (CDC.gov, 2016). Obesity is a growing health disparity that nearly more than one-third of American adults face due to an evolving society (CDC.gov, 2016). Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States and they are the most common, costly, and preventable health conditions (CDC.gov, 2016). Aside from obesity, other chronic diseases include type 2 diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, and cancer (CDC.gov, 2016). Diabetes is known as the leading cause of kidney failure, blindness, and lower-limb amputations (CDC.gov, 2016). Arthritis is the most common cause of disability, with twenty-two million adults reporting that this prevents them from performing daily activities (CDC.gov, 2016). With over 30 years of research, urban nature has shown to enhance physical, psychological, and social well-being for the growing population (Shanahan, Fuller, Bush, Lin, & Gaston, 2015). Individuals with a sedentary lifestyle are more at risk for

The episode from designing communities that was covered in this video was about the connection between the increase in obesity and how living in the suburbs could be a cause of that rise. The video also talks about different ideas and methods that could be used to change the need to use motor transportation and increase the community’s activity levels. Jackson talks about not only the need to lower the cost of healthier food, but also when people live in the suburbs it requires more commute time in regards to getting to jobs and stores therefore decreasing people’s daily activity levels.

The episode watched, presented diabetes as an “common source epidemic” plaguing Americans, but goes further to say that is it more than just bad eating habits, it is also our “car centric society” that contributes to the epidemic (Baroff, 2012). The episode presented people of varying ages fighting against diabetes, obesity, or lack of a safe outdoor recreation area. The episode also provided several examples of towns that were changing the landscape of their communities to make them more exercise and socially friendly.

In 1929, the vision for the Bay Circuit Trail & Greenway was proposed by The Trustees of Reservations. Its purpose was to create an “outer Emerald Necklace” to mirror the string of designed parks created by Fredrick Law Olmsted; “over the next several decades, various public and private parks and reservations were established in the area between what is now Route 128 and Interstate 495, but they failed to keep pace with commercial and residential development” (BCT website). Although this idea was initially implemented, it wasn’t until the 1980s where this trail & greenway project re-established, and in 1990 the Bay Circuit Alliance was formed to help make this dream a reality. An alliance of hundreds of volunteers spanning from 37 of the contributing towns in Eastern Massachusetts, wanted to create a trail the links several parks and open spaces ranging from Plum Island to Duxbury/Kinston Bay. By doing so they wanted to provide “a place for recreation

In his essay “Do We Look Fat in These Suburbs?” included in the August 2014 edition of the Atlantic Monthly Magazine, senior editor of The Atlantic, James Hamblin raises question about if street networks are what contributed to obesity. Hamlin’s piece suggest that dense, more urban areas tend promote a healthier lifestyle because places in cities are in close walking distance as to those in suburbs where places are usually only assessable by car. With sprawling subdivisions on the raise and the obesity rate only growing, heart healthy cities will soon be a thing of the past.

The surrounding and available resources in a community are what influence the health of its residents. Health status will not improve if a community does not have access to resources that will encourage healthy living. In order to increase the health of a community it is important to provide the environment to support a healthy lifestyle, such as having easy access to healthy food and exercise. Obesity is a major population health issue in Polk County along with the remainder of the United States, which can be directly affected by physical inactivity and eating an unhealthy diet. The implementation of a preventative health improvement plan will help to provide greater access to healthy foods and exercise to assist in decreasing the obese population in Polk County. Increasing the available resources in Polk County that encourage healthy eating and exercise will greatly reduce the prevalence of obesity and allow for a healthier community.

One trend to illustrate this is the percentage of the San Mateo County adult population who establish healthy behaviors. These behaviors ¬include respondents who do not smoke cigarettes, are not overweight, exercise at least three times a week for 20 minutes, and who eat an average of at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Only 5.4% of San Mateo County survey respondents report each of four primary health behaviors, a combination which limits cardiovascular and cancer risk. (Professional Research Consultants, Inc., 2013) The idea here is that the statistical findings are way lower compared to its preceding years (2001 with 9.2% and 2008 with 8.5%). We may, therefore, conclude that San Mateo adult residents are starting to exhibit healthy behaviors by not smoking cigarettes, not being overweight based on body mass index, exercising adequately, and including fruits and vegetables in their balanced nutritional diet.

The purpose of this grant is to connect the southern, Hanging Rock trail, to the north, Superior trail, a six mile radius. The Hanging Rock trail is south of State Route 650 and the Superior trail north of the Country Road 27. Along with acting as a trail connector it will prevent soil erosion, control water runoff, and help prevent further resource damage by avoiding the destruction of remote territories. The Pine Grove ATV Connectors will enhance the ATV trails for a more desirable ride experience, much like those in the neighboring states. With the increase in desirable ride experience, this would lead to economic advantages by bringing a large amount of tourists in the region. With the growth of urban development, city dwellers want to

For instance, areas with safety concerns can discourage physical activity while areas with good pedestal connection can encourage more walking and bicycling for transportation. In terms of choice of food, poor and minority communities may not have equal access to the variety of healthy food choices available when compared to wealthy communities. (K. Morland, S. Wing, A. Diez-Roux, C. Poole, 2002) The built environment consist of urban design factors, land use, and available public transportation for a region, as well as the available activity options for people within that space (S.L. Handy, M.G. Boarnet, R. Ewing, R.E. Killingsworth, 2002). Promoting physical activity is of public health importance because of its health benefits. According to Bize, Johnson, Plotnikoff (2007), physical inactivity is associated with increased risks of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases. However, interest to participate in

This topic is very significant because over the past several decades, urban and neighborhood planners have strayed away from green spaces throughout their projects. Green spaces encourage interaction among citizens as well as improving the environment in the vicinity. In this divisive political climate, it is almost necessary to provide areas where families and individuals can come together and enjoy a less stressful environment.

The website for the national and state park systems helps to enlighten the public on the subject of impending changes in policy and regulations, as well as new developments in different parks. Due to this, the parks and recreation districts judge that individuals and families will be more agreeable to the idea of traveling to parks in different states because of the easy accessibility of directions and information about the parks. Owing to the latest rise in interest of campgrounds and recreation areas, there has been an increase in funds. This new revenue has made possible the purchase of more parkland throughout the United States. Without prevailing use of the Internet, this most likely would not have been possible. The East Bay Park District has been able to purchase 1,476 of land. This is the single largest acquisition that the Park has made in over twenty years. The York Center Park District been able to purchase and protect a 20-acre area in the last five years. This is the largest area they manage. With the acquisition of supplementary parkland, it is more likely that this land will continue in its natural condition and not be converted into an urbanized region.

Like most Americans, I expect to find in every city, every town, even in every village in the country, an outdoor recreation area or what is usually called a park; and I am seldom disappointed. No matter how new and unfinished a town may be, or however old and poor, I know that it will contain, wedged in among the crowded blocks of buildings, a rectangular space with grass and trees and meandering paths and perhaps a bandstand or a flagpole.