KINGSPORT -- Kingsport's Livable Community Collaborative was
presented an Award of Excellence in Program Innovation from the Archstone
Foundation and the American Public Health Association at the APHA's recent
annual conference in San Francisco.
Founded in 1872, the American Public Health Association is
comprised of 50,000 members from more than 50 public health occupations, and
drew more than 12,500 attendees to its 140th annual conference.
Kingsport resident Dr. Kathleen Beine, longtime promoter of the
positive physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and economic impacts of
community design, accepted the award on behalf of the city’s Collaborative.
"The award was presented for the Livable Community
Initiative: A survey of seniors and community members, Kingsport,
Tennessee," Beine said Wednesday. "The components of this project
included the 2010 AARP Livable Community Survey, the follow-up Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Taskforce, and a
summary of what has since happened in Kingsport. The award represents a major
confirmation of our community’s improvement efforts."
The Archstone
Foundation’s Award for Excellence in Program Innovation was awarded on
the basis of creative design, documented outcomes, replication potential,
collaboration, and dissemination strategy. The Archstone Foundation is a
private grant making organization dedicated to preparing society to meet the
needs of an aging population, and has awarded more than $77 million in grants
towards that goal since it was founded in 1986.
In 2009 Kingsport, Tennessee was identified as a “pilot livable
community project” by AARP. From this starting point, a collaborative effort
evolved, including AARP, the City, local residents, and volunteer focus groups,
to develop a survey assessing opinions and concerns of Greater Kingsport,
Tennessee area residents in order to make the community more livable for
persons of all ages.
"The survey covered aspects of community design and
services, neighborhood issues, and personal concerns related to public health, aging, and
livability issues," Beine said. "The end-goal was to provide
guidance for Kingsport in a manner that could also be used by other
communities. A total of 1,439 surveys were completed and returned, for a
phenomenal 43.6% response rate, which provided a broad-based sample of opinions
on community conditions."
In March 2010 the final AARP report was released. In follow-up,
the Blue Ribbon Task Force reviewed the survey results and gathered additional
information from city staff on key areas. A report, including
recommendations to the city, was issued in April 2011.
"The AARP survey helped us realize that we were doing a
good job as a city providing a number of services considered necessary and
useful by our residents, but we weren't always doing the best job publicizing
these services," Assistant City Manager for Development Jeff Fleming said.
"At the same time, several key areas were identified where we need to do
some more work, particularly in areas of walkability and convenience to retail
centers without having to get into a car."
Since the release of the AARP survey and the Blue Ribbon Task
Force report, Fleming noted that follow-up actions by the City have included
improved communications efforts, enhanced local transit services, development
of a Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, additional sidewalk construction,
expansion of community centers and recreational opportunities, efforts to
expand the local library, and developing a database of retirees with specific
business backgrounds to assist with industrial recruiting.
Findings from the survey have been presented to city staff,
local civic clubs, businesses, and non-profit organizations. In addition,
findings have been used to advocate for healthy community design and in
successful grant applications by the City.
Since the completion of the AARP survey and Blue Ribbon Task
Force report, synergistic efforts with multiple collaborators have resulted in
several initiatives to create a more livable community, including Kingsport’s
first community garden. Recently, an Active Living Workshop by national
expert Dan Burden is helping the City refine planning and transportation
regulations to encourage a community safer for bicyclists
and pedestrians.
Beine said the Kingsport survey has been replicated in modified
versions in several other communities. Her goal is
to continue the Collaborative’ s efforts to build a model community in
Kingsport that others will want to copy.
Past
community program winners for the Archstone Award
include: Seattle,
Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Minneapolis, Marquette, Michigan,
Evanston, Illinois, Hartford, Connecticut, Westbrook, Maine, and Mountain Iron,
Minnesota. Past university program winners include: Johns Hopkins University,
University of Washington, University of Maryland, University of Massachusetts,
and Boston University.
Dr. Kathleen Beine is a family physician, medical educator, and
researcher. Over the past 20 years, as the principal in Beine & Associates,
she has conducted extensive community-based research and advocated for improved
community design with the recognition that a community’s physical design has
significant impact upon physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and economic
well-being of its citizens.
For further information contact:
Kathleen Beine, M.D., Beine & Associates, Kingsport,
Tennessee, Phone: (423) 863-3304, E-mail: kbeine@tricon.net
Jeff Fleming, Assistant City
Manager for Development, Kingsport, Tennessee, Phone: (423) 229-9381, E-mail JeffFleming@KingsportTN.gov
To learn more about the Livable Community Collaborative, please
visit www.Development.KingsportTN.gov/Livable
