Framework Component

Changes – Multi-Sector

Indicator Description

Community-based design and safety policies and systems changes that create safer, more appealing places for physical activity.

Background and Context

Indicator MT10 is a “developmental” indicator that examines community-level multi-sector efforts to adopt policies and systems changes that result in safer, more appealing places for physical activity. This indicator measures the number of communities within a defined geographic area (e.g., local, state, territorial, or tribal) that have adopted policies or systems change approaches that directly address community design and safety. The role SNAP-Ed plays is focused on cultivating partnerships and providing education to support the creation and adoption of community design and safety policies and systems changes.

As a “developmental” indicator, there is not an existing authoritative secondary data source that provides the necessary data to measure this indicator. Instead, information such as lists of communities that have adopted Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) or Complete Streets policies or Community Policing approaches could be found on websites like the Community Commons, the National Complete Streets Coalition, or the Department of Justice.

Outcome Measures

MT10a.

Number or percentage of communities that have adopted policies that include at least one of the following elements that promote safety for parks, open space, trails, or greenways:

Improved access
Improved signage
Improved lighting
Improved operating hours

MT10b.

Number or percentage of communities that have adopted a Complete Streets policy

MT10c.

Number or percentage of SNAP-Ed eligible areas (neighborhoods) with community policing initiatives

MT10d.

Estimated number of people in the target population who have increased access to or benefit from the community design and safety policy or intervention

Total number of persons in the census-defined area(s)
Number and proportion of persons who are SNAP-Ed eligible

What to Measure

Whether local zoning and planning codes and regulations include elements consistent with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles

Access: Local zoning and planning codes and regulations include access control standards, such as:

Clearly defining point of entry
Fencing defining access is opaque or designed to have open space so as to avoid a visual barrier
Foliage defining access that is between the heights of 3 and 6 feet is designed and maintained so as to not impede line of site
Installing a locking gate (if appropriate for the context)

Signage: Local zoning and planning codes and regulations include signage standards, such as:

Ensuring signs are clear, consistent, and legible (e.g., design, messaging)
Locating signs by entrances and activity nodes
Placing signs at the proper height to maximize visibility
Creating a wayfinding signage system
- Information signs that orientate someone to the built environment
- Directional signs that provide distance and direction to destinations
- Identification signs with information about individual locations
- Warning signs that indicate safety procedures or regulations

Lighting: Local zoning and planning codes and regulations include lighting standards, such as:

Lighting that is installed to ensure consistent levels of Illumination to prevent areas of shadow or glare-blindness
Using shielded lights to control glare
Placing lighting at proper heights to illuminate the faces of people using the space
Adequately lighting inset spaces, signs, entrances, and exits
Proper maintenance of lighting fixtures to prescribed standards (e.g., practices of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America)

Operating Hours: Local zoning and planning codes and regulations include details such as:

Standard operating hours for each facility type (e.g., 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. or dawn until dusk)
Indication at the entrance of when and where exits are closed

Complete Streets
Whether the policy includes at least five Complete Streets elements:

Includes a vision for how and why the community wants to complete its streets
Specifies that “all users” includes pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit passengers of all ages and abilities, as well as trucks, buses, and automobiles
Applies to both new and retrofit projects, including design, planning, maintenance, and operations, for the entire right of way
Makes any exceptions specific and sets a clear procedure that requires high-level approval of exceptions
Encourages street connectivity and aims to create a comprehensive, integrated, connected network for all modes
Is adoptable by all agencies to cover all roads
Directs the use of the latest and best design criteria and guidelines while recognizing the need for flexibility in balancing user needs
Directs that Complete Streets solutions will complement the context of the community
Establishes performance standards with measurable outcomes
Includes specific next steps for implementation of the policy

Community Policing

The number of partnerships between the law enforcement agency and those they serve, including government agencies, community members/groups, nonprofits/service providers, private businesses, and media.
Measures of police performance include improvement in the quality of life for residents, less fear of crime, and greater neighborhood satisfaction.