Physical Activity

Name: Faith and Health Coalition meeting
Start: 2024-07-01T18:00:00-04:00
End: 2024-07-01T19:30:00-04:00
Location: Kingdom Life Christian Fellowship

People tend to move more when they have easy access to safe places to walk, run, roll, and play. Increasing physical activity throughout Chatham County is the primary aim of Healthy Savannah’s physical activity work.

Taking a cue from the CDC-inspired Active People, Healthy Savannah initiative, Healthy Savannah backs complete streets ordinances and simplified zoning rules to mend neighborhoods divided by car-centric planning and policies. We also:

Supported the construction of a 30-mile urban loop around the City of Savannah, known as Tide to Town. Phase one has been completed.
Conducted walking audits in key communities to glean important perspectives and data about neighborhood walkability and residents’ wants and needs.
Organized walking school buses, which help kids walk to school in groups with adult volunteers.

Tide to Town

Tide to Town is a project for a 30 mile walking and biking trail that will emcompass Savannah. The first three miles are at the Truman Linear Park Trail. Tide to Town will address the urgent public safety issue of crashes between drivers and walkers/bikers and will be designed with the entire community in mind. To read more about this strategy visit: tidetotown.org.

tidetotown.org

Healthy Walks

The weekly Tuesday Healthy Walks introduce the Savannah community to safe local trails and pathways. The goal is to highlight the places where Chatham County residents will be able to engage in safe physical activity. The walks are accompanied by a Facebook live to inform Savannah of upcoming events of the month or the week. To know the walks' schedule, visit our calendar HERE

Events

Equitable Parks

Healthy Savannah and Equitable Cities analyzed six Savannah parks and created a report on how these parks can be improved to be more equitable and accessible by the community.

Read the report

Walking School Buses

Healthy Savannah has collaborated with SCCPSS to launch school buses at several locations throughout the City of Savannah and offer students a safe way to walk to school and be physically active.

Read the Guide

Biking & Pedestrian Planning

Healthy Savannah has collaborated with City staff, Metropolitan Planning Commission Staff, and local stakeholders to ensure that local planning emphasizes improved non-motorized infrastructure.

Community Assessment of Local Schools

Attendees at community meetings at the 10 Title I schools were asked to discuss and rank the challenges that they faced in being more active in their community.

Select from the menu below for more information.

Community Impact

New Zoning Ordinance Paves Way for a Healthier Community in Savannah

The City of Savannah Zoning Ordinance was developed in 1960 and remained stagnant as the city grew and developed. The ordinance continued to stall and delay the progress needed to meet the demands of Savannah’s growing neighborhoods. The updated zoning ordinance (NewZO) greatly improves the accessibility of the ordinance and makes key improvements such as the creation of connected street networks that support walking, biking, and access to bus routes. NewZO promotes mixed use to allow small-scale development to support neighborhood stability.

Healthy Walks Encourage Chatham County Residents to Get Up and Active

1 in 4 adults and 1 in 5 high school students fully meet physical activity guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. Barriers such as lack of access to safe walking routes or public parks limit recreation opportunities for the community, specifically in low-wealth neighborhoods.

The Healthy Savannah team is introducing the community to local trails and pathways around Chatham County through Facebook Live. Using their weekly 2-mile walks, Healthy Savannah encourages people to explore the trails either with them or on their own.

Tide to Town Connects Communities in Chatham County

Residents in Savannah, Georgia struggle to meet recommended physical activity guidelines. The lack of safe and accessible spaces to engage in outdoor physical activities presents a significant obstacle. Tide to Town, a planned 30-mile network of walking and biking trails, will provide protected spaces for physical activity and serve an important role in transportation. The early phases of Tide to Town are complete and open to the public. Growing support from the City of Savannah and the people will help secure the project’s future.

December 2023

December 12 @ 7:30 am

January 2024

January 1, 2024 @ 9:00 am