How to Successfully Seek Public and Private Support for Your Built Environment

Many communities across South Carolina are experiencing success in changing built environments into active community environments that promote active lifestyles, and in doing so have seen economic and fiscal benefits. Active community environments are places where people of all ages and abilities can be physically active for both recreation and transportation purposes.

At the Leadership Summit for Healthy Communities on October 29 in Florence, participants can learn about active community environment strategies happening in rural areas of the state. Whether it’s improved sidewalks, bicycle-friendly sharrows, and multi-use paths and trails or adopting open community use policies, Leadership Summit participants will gain a clear picture of how creating active community environments can benefit everyone.

Building Multi-Sector Support for Active Community Environments in Lancaster County, South Carolina
The ESMM Lancaster County chapter has built public and private support for a variety of active living and built environment policies in the rapidly growing area. Presenters will share a variety of policy-based strategies that are currently being implemented to increase physical activity opportunities throughout Lancaster County. You will learn about the challenges of managing both the rural and suburban resident expectations of municipal recreation facilities and how strategies change the built environment.

Where There’s a Will There’s a Way (To Funding Your Trail)
Communities in coastal South Carolina have found a wide variety of ways to fund transformative, beloved sections of the East Coast Greenway. Learn how small rural towns and major metropolitan areas have leveraged abandoned rail lines, private philanthropy, Forest Service roads, and federal transportation dollars to build unique, safe places for physical activity in the Lowcountry. You will find out about public and private funding options, what’s involved in accessing these types of funds, and strategies for creating multi-use trails.