Many living in Atascosa frequent San Antonio since it is just 14 miles from the city center. It has been reported that San Antonio is one of the unhealthiest city’s to live in. This was based on many different factors, which includes how much healthy food is consumed, the number of people that have health insurance, access to parks and the level of physical activity of its residents. A recent report concluded that San Antonio is one of the 14th fattest cities in the United States.
Doug Melnick is San Antonio’s chief sustainability officer and is tasked with public health initiatives, which also includes initiating policies that would improve air quality and improve access to locally grown foods. A city’s landscape can really alter the health of its residents. With such an extensive range of responsibility, this can be a daunting task for anyone. Mr. Melnick certainly has his work cut out for him.
He understands the responsibility that he has to the community and this is why he is always studying those higher ranking cities that see favorable health reports, such as cities like Portland, Salt Lake City, Boulder, and San Francisco. While looking at these cities, he was no doubt interested in seeing how he could implement some of the same initiatives that many of these cities have implemented, to improve the ranking of the areas he services, such as Atascosa. His research of these healthy cities includes the following initiatives:
City Biking helps to improve the quality of the air since there are fewer vehicles on the road. In addition to improving the air quality, it also provides residents with increased physical activity. Boulder has many bike trails for its residents. This is something that Melnick is especially fond of. The biking system enables riders to go from one side of the city to the other and never cross another street. While San Antonio has the right foundation, they now have the goal of connecting the trails so that it offers a better commuting opportunity for cyclists.
Electric Vehicles also provide great air quality and reduces gas emissions. One of the challenges that many cities face is finding the infrastructure for charging stations and maintaining that infrastructure. Cities in California are able to do this by working with other local municipalities to ensure they have enough charging stations for the electric vehicles in their city.
Urban Agriculture is a big deal in Baltimore and New York City. Their initiatives make it possible for people in their cities to consume more affordable fruits and vegetables by growing them on their own. Urban agriculture also helps to improve the quality of the water and air throughout the city. Melnick is continuing to study how Baltimore is able to take unused land space in the city and offer it to urban farmers. These helpful programs benefit everyone in the city directly or indirectly. If even one of these programs were to be developed in San Antonio, it could greatly impact the lives of those living in San Antonio, Atascosa, and surrounding neighborhoods.