Designing a healthy community

North Country Healthy Heart Network staff had the pleasure of attending the Adirondack Health Institute’s “Designing a Healthy Community” conference on June 28 in Lake George.

The conference featured a full agenda that focused on smart design for healthy communities. Mark Fenton, the keynote speaker, is well-versed in creating systems that help communities build a healthier, more physically active population as well as more sustainable and enjoyable lifestyles.

“Mark spoke eloquently about community design, with a focus on how you don’t have to be in the health field to work for healthy communities,” said Ann Morgan, the Heart Network’s executive director. “He told us he was happy the Hearty Network works in non-traditional ways to do this work. A healthy community needs people from different backgrounds to build strong foundations. Mark promotes cross-sector coalitions to help communities be more walkable and pedestrian friendly.”

Local organizations that work with the Heart Network, like the Malone Complete Streets Advisory Board, were also in attendance.

“The folks from Malone learned a lot,” said Grace Mayhew, project coordinator for the Heart Network. “The Advisory Board was able to connect with other people in the community and learn about what everyone is working on, and now they’re looking to bring Mark Fenton to Malone to speak there.”

To learn more about Mark Fenton, visit www.markfenton.com.

To learn more about AHI and future events, visit www.ahihealth.org.