Bill Text: HI SR121 | 2015 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Building Healthy Places Toolkit

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Passed) 2015-06-16 - Certified copies of resolutions sent, 06-16-15. [SR121 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2015-SR121-Amended.html

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THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	121
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

ENCOURAGING THE OFFICE OF PLANNING, LAND USE COMMISSION, HAWAII COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, HAWAII HOUSING FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENTS TO ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE BUILDING HEALTHY PLACES TOOLKIT REPORT BY THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE, OR similar policies that provide a comprehensive approach to land use and development that strengthen community health and smart growth principles.

 

 

     WHEREAS, many communities and countries are facing troubling health trends; and

 

     WHEREAS, by 2030, chronic diseases will cause 52,000,000 global deaths per year, nearly five times the number of deaths from communicable diseases; and

 

     WHEREAS, according to the Hawaii State Plan on Aging, in 2030, 29.7 percent of the total population will be comprised of individuals 65 years of age and older; and

 

     WHEREAS, physical activity, access to healthy food and drinking water, and exposure to a healthy environment with a high degree of social interaction are three components that will prolong life expectancy and assure a better quality of life; and

 

     WHEREAS, incorporating a mix of land uses, designing well-connected street networks at the human scale, providing sidewalks and enticing pedestrian-oriented streetscapes, providing infrastructure to support biking, designing visible and enticing stairs to encourage frequent use, installing stair prompts and signage, providing high-quality spaces for multi-generational play and recreation, and building play spaces for children are qualities that promote physical activity; and

 

     WHEREAS, accommodating a grocery store, hosting a farmers market, promoting healthy-food retail, and supporting on-site gardening and farming all enhance access to healthy food and drinking water; and

 

     WHEREAS, banning smoking, using materials and products that support healthy indoor air quality, facilitating proper ventilation and airflow, maximizing indoor lighting quality, minimizing noise pollution, increasing access to nature, and facilitating social engagement are key to a healthy environment with a high degree of social interaction; and

 

     WHEREAS, the design of an environment that promotes physical activity, access to healthy food and drinking water, and exposure to a healthy environment is a key element in combating the risk factors for chronic disease; and

 

     WHEREAS, communities and projects that are able to meet the market demand for land use and health will see their value endure over time; and

 

     WHEREAS, more than half of Americans want to live in a community that has transit, and fifty-three percent want to be close to shops, restaurants, and offices; and

 

     WHEREAS, development strategies that can improve health outcomes, such as providing protected bikeways, minimizing noise pollution, and offering amenities, are highlighted in "Building Healthy Places Tookit:  Strategies for Enhancing Health in the Built Environment" by the Urban Land Institute; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Building Healthy Places Toolkit report outlines twenty-one practical, evidence-based recommendations that the development community can use to promote health at the building and project scale; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2015, that the Office of Planning, Land Use Commission, Hawaii Community Development Authority, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, and county planning departments are encouraged to adopt and implement the twenty-one recommendations highlighted in the Building Health Places Toolkit report by the Urban Land Institute, or similar policies that provide a comprehensive approach to land use and development that strengthen community health and smart growth principles; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of Planning, Land Use Commission, Hawaii Community Development Authority, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, and county planning departments are encouraged to seek public and professional input and consult and collaborate with stakeholders most affected by the Urban Land Institute's Building Healthy Places Toolkit report; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Office of Planning, Chairperson of the Land Use Commission, Chairperson of the Hawaii Community Development Authority, Executive Director of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Director of the Planning Department for Hawaii County, Director of the Department of Planning for Maui County, Director of the Department of Planning and Permitting for the City and County of Honolulu, and Director of the Department of Planning for Kauai County.

Report Title: 

Building Healthy Places Toolkit