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174 Ellensburg walkability assessment: looking for areas in need of improvement

Purpose of study The walkability assessment of Ellensburg aims to decrease obesity by being used as a tool to justify construction of sidewalks, which are a main source of physical activity for many residents. Ellensburg has 19 786 residents and a 29% obesity rate. Accessibility to safe and walkable routes are often lacking in rural communities, but are needed by residents to be able to stay active and maintain a healthy weight. Methods used In the clinic, it became apparent that obesity is a major health problem in Ellensburg and majority of patients indicated that walking was their main source of exercise. A literature search showed that when people move to an area with higher walkability they increase their physical activity. After meeting with the Kittitas Public Health Department (KPHD) a proposal was introduced to complete a walkability assessment, to justify improvement projects. Literature also showed that developing a community based partnership with a local university is helpful when developing solutions to community problems. For this project, a promising partnership was created between the KPHD and CWU’s Centre of Leadership and Community Engagement (CLCE). Summary of results The Built Environment Active Transportation assessment form and a literature review, demonstrating the significance of the project, were given to each partner. A meeting was facilitated between the KPHD’s Health Promotions Supervisor and CWU’s director of the CLCE. CWU committed to recruiting volunteers for the assessment and possibly running a fundraiser (5K walk) to fix a section of sidewalk. The CLCE has students majoring in graphic design that will make advertisements targeting public health majors and pre-medical students. The city of Ellensburg has been broken down into 12 sections and three volunteers will be assigned per section. It was agreed that the assessment will be completed by the end of the 2018–2019 academic school year. Conclusions This project provides detailed data on the community’s walkability, which can be used to apply for grants and inform the city of areas that need development. A challenge with this project will be finding volunteers, but the director of CLCE does not believe this will be a problem. This walkability assessment will be continued through the partnership of CWU and the KPHD. This project could be expanded by increasing the area assessed.