People who live in neighborhoods that lack healthy food markets, safe bike lanes and sidewalks, proper street lighting and nearby parks are at the highest risk for developing lifestyle-related chronic diseases. By working together to improve our infrastructure, we can create more opportunities for healthy living. Our work aligns with the Imagine Austin 30 year strategic plan and we need your help to prioritize change. We offer trainings and ongoing technical assistance that can help you take action.
“The walkability assessment is definitely a worthwhile effort. This is an opportunity to actually do something tangible and to get [those living in the neighborhood] involved in the activity. When you can actually give people something to have ownership about, it makes all the difference. This is really just the beginning; this is definitely a marathon and not a sprint.”Attractive Heading
—Marva Overton, Executive Director of the Alliance for African American Health in Central Texas
Local Success Story
-Read about how Shirlet started a walking group and changed lives, including her own.
-Read about how Austin parks and green spaces became smoke-free.
TAKE ACTION!
Build Together. Grow, eat and even sell your own harvest by building a community garden. Our partners can help you organize, plan and find the materials you need to get started. Learn how here!
Plan Together. Complete a “Walkability Assessment” in your neighborhood to assess where changes are needed to make it healthier and safer. Sharing these results with us helps plan future improvements. You can also apply for Neighborhood Partnering Program grants to fund projects on your own. Contact us for more information.
– Check out what’s happening here at Healthy Living on the East Side!
Walk Together. Join the WALK TX AND MORE to start a physical activity group with your family, friends, neighbors or coworkers. Group leader orientations, activity logs and awards are given throughout the year, so it’s always a good time to start!
Walk Texas! is a FREE 10-week program designed to help you begin or maintain an active lifestyle. For ten weeks, participants record their daily/weekly physical activity, which converts to points depending on the number of minutes the are active and the intensity of the activity. At the end of the challenge, medals are given based on total points.
– Download a WALK TX AND MORE brochure in English or Spanish to learn more and share.
– Sign up for WALK TX AND MORE by downloading the Registration and Waiver Forms.
Already took the Challenge?
If you have completed the Walk Texas! challenge, please turn in your Award and Evaluation Forms so that we can properly recognize you and see how we can continuously improve.
Learn more. If you’d to learn more about Walk Texas!, please contact Sabrina McCarty, Public Health Educator II, at (512) 972-5463 or sabrina.mccarty@austintexas.gov.
