1. Policy, Systems, &
Environment Change
Projects Related to Food & Active Living inWorcester

2. Mass in Motion (MiM)
 Year 1 recap
 Year 2 activities and accomplishments
◦ Winter walkability
◦ Access to outdoor recreation
◦ Incentives for food retailers
◦ Safe Routes to School
◦ Land use, transportation, public health policy
◦ Other activities

3. MiM Transition
 Partnership → Policy Council
 Winter walkability
 Outdoor access
 Municipal policy – new work groups
◦ Improve pedestrian and bicycling safety and
connectivity → ActiveTransportation
◦ Improve access to farm-fresh foods (mobile
markets, FMs, CGs) → Urban Agriculture

4. MiM Policy Priorities
FARM-FRESH FOOD
Healthy mobile markets
 Permits/licenses and incentives
Community gardens
 Conversion of blighted areas
 Land use plans and regulations to
promote, expand, protect potential sites
 Municipal bonds to clean up, redevelop
vacant land
Farmers’ markets
 Administration
 Financial incentives to market operators
 Coupons and lower-income incentives
(EBT acceptance)
 Land use regulations
BIKE/PED SAFETY, CONNECTIVITY
Bicyclist and pedestrian safety
 Active transportation plans
 Complete streets
 Traffic calming
 Other safety measures
 Safe Routes to School
Expanded connections
 Connectivity policies for sidewalk
continuity, direct routes, connection to
destinations
 Open space policies encourage PA
Urban design, land use plans
 Approaches - connectivity, access
 Active transit-oriented development
 Form-based zoning
Community design to encourage PA
 Street and sidewalk accessibility
 Design guidelines

5. MiM Stakeholders
FARM-FRESH FOOD
 Hunger-Free and Healthy
 Mosaic
 REC
 Community gardeners
 Greater Worcester Land Trust
 Division of Planning & Regulatory Services
 Division of Economic Development
 Mayor
 Worcester Public Schools/School
Nutrition
 Worcester Farmers’ Market
 UMass Med School
BIKE/PED SAFETY, CONNECTIVITY
 Central Mass Regional Planning Comm
 DPWP
 Division of Economic Development
 Worcester Police Department
 UMMHC/Injury Prevention Center
 Promise Neighborhood
 Safe Routes To Schools (state)
 SRTS partner schools
 Greater Worcester Land Trust
 Mass Audubon
 Common Pathways Transportation WG
 Disabilities Commission
 School Committee
 Earn-A-Bike
 Pleasant St Neighborhood Network Center
 Columbus Park Neighborhood Association
 Worcester Roots
 UMMHC/Community Benefits
 Community Development Corporations

6. Act FRESH
1. Pass the Comprehensive Land Use Reform
and Partnership Act (Senate Bill 1019 by Sen.
Eldridge).
2. Pass Physical Education Legislation (Senate bill
216 by Sen. McGee).
3. Use Economic Development Resources to
Improve Access to Healthy Food Stores.
4. Successfully Implement State & Federal
Legislation on School Nutrition.

7. Urban Agriculture
 Urban Farming
◦ Farming on tax-title properties
◦ Farming/Gardening as a permitted use in
zoning code
 Chicken-hen ordinance

8. Workplace Wellness
 Community Healthy Living Index (CHLI)
◦ Family Health Center
◦ Worcester Public Schools
◦ YWCA
◦ SaintVincent Hospital

9. Healthy Dining
 Utilizing Choice Architecture and Simple
Nutrition to Make Restaurants More
Healthy for the Residents of Greater
Worcester.
 Designing a "WooFoods" rating system
modeled on the LEED certification for
green construction. In this system, there
will be no "bad" ratings. Restaurants will
either be certified at one level or another,
or not be certified at all.

10. Grocery Store Task Force
 Mass. Grocery Store Access Report
 Statewide task force convened:Tim
Garvin of UnitedWay represents
Worcester
 Looking at developing policy
recommendations that will increase
grocery store/corner store access in
underserved areas.

11. Hunger-Free & Healthy
 Implementation of WPS Wellness Policy
 Implementation of School Nutrition
legislation
 The Farm Bill