With a Colorado Health Foundation grant of $30,000 to the Colorado District Council of ULI (ULI Colorado), ULI Colorado will host two Building Healthy Places (BHP) workshops in Loveland, Colorado and Pueblo, Colorado.

ULI Colorado hosted a selective application process to identify the two final communities. The workshops will bring together 8-to-10 ULI volunteer experts with community leaders to envision new designs, developments and infrastructure that will benefit community health.

“The Colorado Health Foundation and ULI Colorado are uniquely paired to address these issues,” says Michael Leccese, Executive Director, ULI Colorado. “With the breadth of knowledge our panel will possess, the workshops will provide real solutions for these communities to implement.”

A body of research links the design and planning of communities to public health. Both communities noted specific areas to be addressed during the workshops, and where residents of communities lack opportunities for physical activity and access to healthy food, there is less activity and poorer diets.

“Though personal choices are a contributing factor to health, it’s difficult to be healthy when communities lack infrastructure and facilities like sidewalks, bike lanes and easy connections to transit and parks that encourage physical activity,” noted Khanh Nguyen, portfolio director – Healthy Living, Colorado Health Foundation. “The BHP workshops provide a wealth of expertise and work directly with the communities to identify and design health back into their neighborhoods.”