LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - Oct 6, 2011) - The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's RENEW LA County initiative is debuting a Model Design Manual for Living Streets to expand opportunities for people to bicycle and walk as part of an obesity prevention effort.
In partnership with the Luskin Center for Innovation at UCLA and funded by a RENEW LA County grant through the Department of Health and Human Services, the Model Design Manual provides guidance for cities seeking to update their existing road standard manuals with new techniques to reflect a greater emphasis on active transportation. The manual expands on traditional street standards by including principles for reducing stormwater run-off in streets and thereby increasing environmental sustainability. The manual was authored by a team of national, regional and local experts from traffic engineering, transportation planning, land use planning, architecture, public health and other backgrounds.
The manual will be celebrated with a public launch on Thursday, October 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the boardroom of Metro Headquarters, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Cities across the nation may use this manual in any way -- free of charge -- depending on their needs. They may adopt the entire manual; adopt certain chapters, in full or part; or modify any part to suit their individual needs.
"We hope this manual will serve as a resource for designers, planners, and engineers who are looking for tools to provide flexibility within their existing street standards," said Ryan Snyder, the lead author on the manual and a Smart Growth transportation planning consultant. "Our streets are vital public places that support healthy access, economic activity, human interaction and other needs."
The manual will also be publicly available starting October 6 at www.modelstreetdesignmanual.com.
For more information on creating healthy communities in Los Angeles County, connect with Choose Health LA online, which represents all of the obesity prevention efforts of RENEW LA County. Visit Choose Health LA on Twitter @ChooseHealthLA, on Facebook and at ChooseHealthLA.com.
About RENEW LA County
The LA County Department of Public Health's RENEW (Renew Environments for Nutrition, Exercise and Wellness) initiative seeks to improve nutrition, increase physical activity and reduce obesity in LA County. RENEW LA County is made possible by a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative.
About LA County Department of Public Health
The LA County Department of Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of the nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Public Health comprises more than 4,000 employees and an annual budget exceeding $750 million. To learn more about Public Health, visit publichealth.lacounty.gov, visit the YouTube channel at youtube.com/lapublichealth, find Public Health on Facebook at facebook.com/lapublichealth, or follow Public Health on Twitter: LAPublicHealth.