Imagine running with your preschooler in a jogging stroller on a long path that winds along a beautiful, tree-lined river. Suddenly, your reverie is broken by a small voice “Daddy, I have to go to the bathroom.” You are stunned – you have no idea where to find a bathroom and you are not carrying toilet paper. Or imagine being a person who has been told by a physician to walk a mile every day to improve a serious health condition. You do not even know what a mile “looks like” unless you are driving – how can you possibly follow this advice? These stories would end here in many cities across the US – but Davenport, Iowa is not just any city. A group of concerned citizens tackled this issue by creating signposts so residents and visitors could take full advantage of the beautiful outdoor paths. 

The tangible goal, to provide signage along the urban and river-walk trails, provided a rallying point for Davenport’s coalition team, creating early success and collaboration. Two steps were important to the process. First, the team physically walked the trails, paying attention to the locations of bathrooms, parking lots, and scenic spaces. They took note of who was using the trails: families, runners, bikers and walkers. And, they looked at the paths in relation to other areas of interest such as schools or parks. Second, the team engaged stakeholders early in the process. Groups of cyclists provided information and support to the project because they were part of the project from the beginning; running groups and other interested residents provided support and ideas. “We had the infrastructure, but people just weren’t using it. We had to make it easier for people to make the healthy choice” says a Parks and Recreation Staff Member

The change to the physical environment was immediate and improved the usability of the paths. The process also created new partnerships and new relationships that could grow as the project moved forward. A local bank has hosted art shows in a building near the trail. The local community foundation helps clean this site. Some local businesses saw the effect of getting people moving on the trails and have started a ‘stair walking’ campaign internally and with other businesses. 

Policy momentum has also proved important for the trails. The governor of Iowa launched a campaign to make the state the healthiest in the nation, and this along with the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign created momentum and attention on physical health. Davenport was able to capitalize on this momentum to raise the profile of their efforts to improve trail usability.

Replication of the successes from Davenport requires communities to start small and concrete, then grow and nurture partnerships. Opportunities for more policy and environmental changes have been plentiful since the inception of this team, and the team is able to assist its partners in pursuing these opportunities while growing the local relationships. Creating opportunities for partnership and success while also thinking broadly about healthy behaviors were key to establishing a sustainable model for improving health.