HomeMy WebLinkAboutChapter 5 HEALTH WELLNESS |
5. HEALTH & WELLNESS
The Health and Wellness element is not a required element of the General Plan.
A broad range of social, economic, and environmental factors all contribute to health
including nutritious diets, active lifestyles, clean air and water, education, jobs, and
medical care. Cities can create policies that target these areas to address the specific
health needs and challenges of a community.
Active parks and open space improve
health.
Healthy communities promote active lifestyles.
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The leading causes of death within Riverside County and the Eastern Riverside sub
region, which includes the City of Palm Desert, are heart disease and cancer. Chronic
lower respiratory disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s are the third, fourth, and fifth
leading causes of death in the County. Approximately 27% of Palm Desert adults aged
20 and older are categorized as obese. In Eastern Riverside County, asthma was cited
as one of the top ten reasons for emergency room visits for children 5-11 years-old
and 12-14 years-old. Palm Desert’s asthma rates are slightly higher than the national
average, and slightly lower than the California average. Development that encourages
active lifestyles, such as parks, open space, and walkable neighborhoods, are linked
with improvements in obesity and heart disease. Similarly, communities that provide
greater access to healthy foods can lead to improved diets and reduced rates of
obesity, heart disease, and cancer, while improved air quality corresponds with lower
incidence of respiratory disease and asthma.
Regular physical activity can help control weight, reduce the risk of cardiovascular
disease, Type 2 diabetes, and some cancers, strengthen bones and muscles, improve
mental health and mood, prevent falls among older adults, and increase chances for a
longer life. In a recent CDC study, researchers calculated that limiting the time
Americans spend sitting to three hours or fewer each day would increase the life
expectancy of the U.S. population by 2 years. Cutting down TV watching to fewer than
two hours each day would bump life expectancy up by another 1.4 years . Being
overweight can also have far-reaching impacts on lifestyles, negatively affecting self-
esteem and mental health. New data also suggests there is a “significant positive
relationship between physical activity and academic performance.” Sedentary living is
especially concerning for our youth as it can lead to shortened life spans. In general,
7th and 9th graders in Desert Sands Unified School District schools were on par with
the average Riverside County and California students. However, Abraham Lincoln
Elementary reported that 41.1% of the 5th grade students were at risk for Body
Composition measurements.
Unhealthy eating habits are a primary risk factor for many leading causes of death in
California. They also contribute to the number of obese and overweight Americans.
Indeed, the relationship between obesity and chronic illness, such as diabetes or heart
disease, is also well-established. In the Coachella Valley, 21% of adults aged 20 and
older self-report that they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30.0 (obese).
Excess weight may indicate an unhealthy lifestyle and puts individuals at risk for
further health issues.
While it is not our intent to force people to eat healthier, we can create local policies
and programs that can improve people’s access to healthier food options and help
make healthy food options an easier choice. The prevalence of diabetes is clearly
associated with unhealthy diets. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the
United States. Since the 1970s, the risk of developing diabetes has increased by over
50 percent for American adults. Specifically, more than 2.3 million people in California
had diabetes in 2011-2012 -- a 35% increase over 10 years, which can be directly
linked to lack of fitness and sugary diets. Improving access to healthy food can reduce
the risk of contracting diabetes for City residents.
Outdoor community exercise
Heathy local food options, such as a
farmers market
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Excessive automobile use by residents has multiple deleterious impacts on health.
Scientific studies have linked ozone and particle pollution to lung cancer, asthma
attacks, heart attacks, diabetes, strokes, and early death, as well as increased
hospitalizations for breathing problems. Looking at air quality in 545 counties in the
U.S. between 2000 and 2007, researchers found that people had approximately four
months added to their life expectancy on average due to cleaner air, and people who
lived in urban and densely populated counties benefited the most. Asthma affects
adults and children in Riverside County, particularly children living in poverty. In
Eastern Riverside County, asthma was cited as the one of the top ten reasons for
emergency department visits for children 5- to 11-years-old and 12- to 14-years-old.
Palm Desert’s asthma rates are slightly higher than the national average, and slightly
lower than the California average.
One of the greatest health risks associated with air pollution from particulate matter
is living near freeways and "high volume roadways." The prevalence of asthma is a
crucial indicator of local air quality. Asthma is one of the leading causes of school
absenteeism and can be a life-threatening disease if not properly managed. Research
has shown that ozone air pollution may actually cause asthma in otherwise healthy
children.
Local air quality has a direct impact on
respiratory health.
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1.1 Park amenities. In the design of parks or open spaces, provide paths,
running tracks, playgrounds, sport courts, and drinking fountains.
1.2 Multiple users. Encourage active play structures and/or passive amenities
to be designed to accommodate a range of ages and abilities, especially
seniors.
1.3 Partnerships. Create partnerships with organizations to sponsor and
maintain green spaces and gardens on building sites.
1.4 Joint-use. Promote joint use of public and private recreational facilities for
community uses.
1.5 Increase park space. Require 5 acres of park space for every 1,000
residents, striving to have a park or recreation amenity within ½ mile of
most neighborhoods. Provide an increased focus on neighborhood parks,
mini parks and neighborhood plazas to serve residents.
1.6 Design for heat. Consider extreme heat in the design of parks and
playgrounds to facilitate activity in different weather conditions by
including shade structures, shade trees, water fountains, splash pads,
lighting for night play, and other design features that mitigate heat.
1.7 Design for safety. Utilize CPTED design techniques such as providing clear
lines of sight, adequate llighting, and wayfinding signs, to ensure parks are
safe.
1.8 New development. Ensure that new residential developments provide
adequate on-site recreational and open space amenities consistent with
the values and standards of the community and the needs of new
development.
1.9 Open space trails. Develop and enhance existing open space and trails that
provide City residents and visitors access to undisturbed desert and
mountain environments, while preserving these resources, including
sensitive plant and animal species, in their natural environments.
1.10 Accessibility to parks. Seek new park locations that will serve residential
areas that are more than a quarter mile from an existing or planned park
or separated from an existing or planned park by a street that consists of
four or more travel lanes. Where possible, parks shall be associated with
and connected to the trail network.
1.11 Parks classification system. Adopt and utilize the parks classification
system identified in Table 6-1 to help guide maintenance and planning
work in the city.
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Park T ype Acre
R ange
Pop
R adius
Distance
R adius General C haracteristics
Mini parks
Less than 1
acre to 1.5
acres
Not
population
radius
sensitive
Within
walking
distance of
immediate
area
Parks that exist primarily in residential areas or adjacent
to light business zones and have features , such as grass,
shade, trees, passive areas, green space, shelters, native
plant life, playgrounds and play structures. Use is limited
to the local neighborhood. They may be realized in “tot -
lot” configurations that pro vide secure recreational
space for small children and typically include equipment
such as swings, slides, ‘monkey bars’ and sand boxes ,
while leaving sufficient room for peopl e to sit and enjoy
the space. Mini-parks are intended to serve a population
within walking distance or short biking distance.
Plazas/greens Up to 2
acres
Not
population
radius
sensitive
Close to
entertainment
and business
support areas
Plazas and greens have the widest variety and the most
intense activities of all open spaces. Plazas and greens
serve as formal or informal community gathering spaces.
Plazas are unique to the city and represent a connection
to the culture of the community. These park typ es are
often shaped primarily by building frontages. Plazas are
shaped primarily by building frontages and are primarily
hardscape with occasional landscape in planters or
containers. Greens are landscaped open areas located at
the center of a community. Features may include
gazebos, water features, trees, shade, performance
areas, public artwork and other similar features.
Neighborhood
parks
About 1.5-
15
6 to 10
acres per
1,000
residents
About a 2.5
mile radius in
the developed
area
Parks provide large u nobstructed areas for passive or
active recreation throughout neighborhoods. Often
contain community gardens and playgrounds and are
primarily landscaped. These parks are located in
residential areas. They include features such as: grass,
trees, restrooms, tot lots, picnic and shade shelters,
grills, playground equipment, open fields, informal
sports areas, swimming pools and/or neighborhood
center.
Community parks About 10 -50
acres
One site per
25,000
residents
About a 5 to
10 mile
service radius
Parks located in large areas that are compatible to
surrounding uses with features such as: large grass
areas, large picnic and shelter areas, restrooms, on -site
parking, swimming pool, community center, sports
areas/complexes, lights, entertainment areas, special
features such as skateboard areas, outdoor theatres,
disc golf, BMX, exercise station, ponds and/or water
features.
Special use parks 50+ acres
One site per
50,000 to
200,000
residents
About a 25
mile service
radius
Parks not located in residential areas. Features might
include: large scale sports complex, special events site
(such as fairs and festivals), gardens, concessions, trails,
natural/open space, lakes, animal uses.
Nature/open
space
As resources
are
available
(usually
large)
Not
population
radius
sensitive
As natural
resource
areas are
available
Areas generally free from development or developed at
low intensity uses that respect natural environmental
characteristics and serve as preservation of natural,
cultural, archaeological resources, passive outdoor
recreation, public safety and health, and shape urban
form. In some cases, these open space types may include
working lands such as farms, ranches, and mining areas.
Greenways/ trails
As resources
are
available
Not
population
radius
sensitive
Distance is a
function of in
and between
park options
Greenways and trails may consist of walking, biking,
hiking, equestrian, greenway, long distance, off road,
rail, canal, and waterway with the purpose to meet
passive or active recreation, informal or formal
transportation.
Linear parks
Should
connect with
trails
Not
population
radius
sensitive
Tied to
neighborhood
entries and
park sites
Purpose is to connect parks, entry ways, transportation
routes, and unique features. May be concrete, asphalt, or
crushed fine, among other options.
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1.12 Economic opportunities. Utilize parks to maximize new and existing
economic development opportunities through recruitment of new
entertainment uses and by coordinating park development to support
commercial development.
2.1 Lifelong learning and professional development. Work with the school
district, Cal State, and Riverside County Regional Occupational
Center/Program to support mentorship, professional development, and
continuing education programs, so working adults can expand their skills
and embrace lifelong learning.
2.2 Affordable housing. Encourage qualified employees to live in Palm Desert
through homebuyer and rental assistance and other programs as
recommended in the Housing Element.
2.3 Employee programs. Encourage employers to adopt healthy employee
programs and practices such as healthy work environments, healthy food
choices, or health challenges including weight loss, smoking cessation, or
physical activity.
3.1 Community gardens. Encourage community gardens, especially in new
affordable housing developments, multifamily developments and schools.
3.2 Public gardens. Allow the development of community gardens in parks,
public right-of-ways, alleys, parkways, vacant land and utility easements,
and encourage edible landscaping.
3.3 Private gardens. Allow for gardens on rooftops, residential front and back
yards, and indoor spaces.
3.4 Livestock. Allow the raising of animals such as bees, chickens, goats, etc. in
certain designated, low residential areas.
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4.1 Healthy food outlets. Utilize available incentives, grants, and/or programs
to encourage small grocery or convenience stores to sell basic healthy fresh
food items so as to expand the availability of healthy food within the City.
4.2 Farmers’ markets. Encourage farmers’ markets in a wide variety of formats
and venues.
4.3 Healthy food environments. Limit fast food retailers’ density throughout
the city, either by restricting the number of fast food retailers or increasing
the number of healthy food retailers.
4.4 Innovation. Support the development of food cooperatives as alternative
means of increasing access to healthy and fresh foods.
5.1 Health care service levels. Work with local health care providers to ensure
the availability of adequate levels of health care services and facilities and
to attract more primary care physicians.
5.2 Healthcare training and education. Commensurate with population growth,
and responsive to the demographics of the city and the region, work with
the UC Riverside School of Medicine to encourage the development of
additional research, education and health care services to enhance access
to health care training and educational opportunities, urgent care, in-home
care and other medical treatment.
5.3 Innovative health services. Continue to encourage innovative health
services that cater to Palm Desert’s unique community and needs.
5.4 Accessible health and social services facilities. Ensure health and social
services facilities are accessible to residents and well served by transit.
5.5 Homegrown medical professionals. Aspire to cultivate “homegrown”
medical professionals by supporting programs that create education
pipelines to health careers and providing lease assistance, tenant
improvements and capital contributions to new practices.
5.6 Healthcare accessibility. Consider and plan for individuals with disabilities
when locating health services and health-promoting uses, including
hospitals and medical centers, schools, grocery stores and markets, and
governmental services.
5.7 Temporary health centers. Allow and encourage temporary healthcare
spaces and events such as mobile clinics, health fairs, church and school
clinics.
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5.8 Aging in Place. Encourage Aging in Place design and policies in new
development to ensure safe and easy access for seniors.
6.1 Near-source air quality impacts. Avoid locating new air quality-sensitive
uses (schools, child care centers, senior centers, medical facilities, and
residences) in proximity to sources of localized air pollution (e.g., Interstate
10, high traffic roads, certain industrial facilities), and vice versa. Where
such uses are located within 500 feet of each other, require preparation of
a health impact assessment (HIA) or similarly effective health analysis as
part of the CEQA environmental review process, to analyze the significance
of the health impact on sensitive land uses and incorporate project-specific
mitigation measures to reduce potential impacts.
For sensitive land uses that cannot be avoided within 500 feet of sources of
localized air pollution, potential design mitigation options include:
Providing residential units with individual HVAC systems in order to
allow adequate ventilation with windows closed;
Locating air intake systems for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
(HVAC) systems as far away from existing air pollution sources as
possible;
Using HEPA air filters in the HVAC system and developing a
maintenance plan to ensure the filtering system is properly maintained;
and
Utilizing only fixed windows next to any existing sources of pollution.
Using sound walls, berms, and vegetation as physical barriers.
Notifying new potential home buyers of risks from air pollution.
6.2 Healthy buildings. Require new development to meet the State’s Green
Building Code standards for indoor air quality performance, and promote
green building practices that support “healthy buildings,” such as low VOC
materials, environmental tobacco smoke control, and indoor air quality
construction pollution prevention techniques.
6.3 Sensitive receptors. Avoid the siting of new projects and land uses that
would produce localized air pollution in a way that would adversely impact
existing air quality-sensitive receptors including schools, childcare centers,
senior housing, and subsidized affordable housing. The recommended
minimum distance separating these uses should be 500 feet. When a
minimum distance of 500 feet cannot be avoided, a health impact
assessment (HIA) shall be completed in compliance with Policy 6.1.
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7.1 Physical plan. Facilitate the construction of a built environment that
supports a healthy physical and social environment for new and existing
neighborhoods and strengthens community cohesion.
7.2 Walkable streets. Regulate new development to ensure new blocks
encourage walkability by maximizing connectivity and route choice, create
reasonable block lengths to encourage more walking and physical activity
and improve the walkability of existing neighborhood streets.
7.3 Pedestrian barriers. Discourage physical barriers to walking and bicycling
between and within neighborhoods and neighborhood centers. If physical
barriers are unavoidable, provide safe and comfortable crossings for
pedestrians and cyclists. Physical barriers may include arterial streets with
speed limits above 35 mph, transit or utility rights-of-way, very long blocks
without through-streets, and sound walls, amongst others.
7.4 Health in new development. Evaluate the health impact and benefits of
new development projects in the early planning phases to maximize its
contribution to a healthier Palm Desert.
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