This advisory services panel and staff from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) made land use recommendations for the Arvada, Colo. community. ULI believes the strength of this program is its ability to draw on the knowledge and experience of its nearly 30,000 members, including land developers, public officials, academics, lenders, architects, planners and urban designers.

"Healthy Places: Designing an Active Colorado" is a five-year, $4.5 million initiative of the Colorado Health Foundation www.coloradohealth.org. The program, with community participation, aims to foster a built environment that encourages people to get off their duffs, out of their cars and walk about town, and perhaps even engage in other physical activity

Actually, if you've seen the obesity index of states, you know Colorado residents tend to be more physically active than the rest of the country, which is reflected by Colorado having the lowest percentage rate of obese people in the union (18.7 percent). Compare that to West Virginia, the "fattest state," with an obesity rate of 33.5 percent.

During the first phase of Healthy Places, the foundation selected three Colorado communities from 26 city applications from across the state to participate in an advisory panel with the Urban Land Institute www.uli.org. The three communities selected were: the southeast region of Arvada, a northwest suburb of Denver; Lamar, a small, rural town in southeastern Colorado; and Westwood, an urban neighborhood in southwest Denver.

Let's take a look at a few of ULI's recommendations for Arvada:

Focus sidewalk paving and construction efforts to enhance connections to schools, city parks and the Arvada Center. Maximize pedestrian use of sidewalks, and make walking a safe and enjoyable activity.

Improve pedestrian and bike connections to county and regional trails, and develop signage for pedestrians and cyclists. Require walkable and bicycle access to all transit stops.

Implement traffic calming and pedestrian improvements at key intersections. Maximize visibility of bikeways and bike crossings at intersections. Expand bicycle parking.

For new developments, diversify land use and require enhanced street connectivity.

Develop a public art program for civic spaces and along pathways to increase use of pathways.

If feasible, provide an additional community recreation facility.

Provide outdoor adult fitness equipment.

Assess opportunities for improvements to parks and schoolyards.

Enhance the Arvada Farmer's Market

Identify community areas without walkable access to healthy foods, and undertake initiatives to support that access.

"The biggest real estate challenge of the next generation will be the conversion of dead or dying strip commercial centers in the suburbs into walkable, mixed use communities," said developer Chris Leinberger.

The ULI panel's full recommendations for Arvada are available at www.coloradohealth.org/healthyplaces.aspx.

Each of the three selected Colorado communities are eligible to apply for up to $1 million from the Colorado Health Foundation to begin implementing ULI recommendations.