Healthy Design Ordinance

In order to effectively promote physical activity, healthy design seeks safe, convenient and pleasant places for pedestrians and bicyclists by minimizing hazards, increasing accessibility, and overall enhancing the look and feel of the built environment.

The overall goal of healthy design is to improve public health through changes in the built environment. The Healthy Design Ordinance (“HDO”) updated existing zoning and subdivision regulations to increase levels of physical activity, assisting in reducing the County’s rates of obesity.

The purpose of the Livable Communities Design Guidelines is to guide the design of discretionary land development projects to achieve the following Livable Communities objectives:

1. Encourage the protection and conservation of natural resources through development patterns;
2. Promote patterns of development that encourage physical activity and a healthy community;
3. Develop and utilize sustainable energy and design practices;
4. Encourage land uses and design that create positive and productive human relations and contribute to the unique character of the neighborhood;
5. Provide a comfortable walking environment for pedestrians through small blocks, lighting, distinctive landscaping, active street fronts, a connected system of streets, and other features;
6. Accommodate multi-modal transportation through a connected network of transit options and the creation of safe environments for bicyclists and pedestrians;
7. Promote public spaces at prominent locations and connect them to commercial corridors with multimodal transportation options; and,
8. Encourage farmer’s markets, community gardens, and other local food sources to increase access to healthy food options.

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