Ruas seguras e a saude das crianças - Safer streets and children's health

Os pesquisadores do Lattice, na busca por soluções para cidades mais seguras, tem sido desenvolvido estudos sobre aspectos espaciais, socias e culturais que impactam a vida nas ruas de nossa cidade. A pesquisa sobre perfis espaciais de ruas tem identificado aspectos morfológicos e tipológicos de bairros que explicam padrões de maior vulnerabilidade ou de segurança, visando a proposta de diretrizes de desenho urbano para aumentar a vigilancia social, incentivar o uso das calçadas, promover movimento e vida social em espaços publicos.

No entanto, para termos cidades mais seguras, devemos reconhecer a importancia de promover o acesso de crianças, principalmente moradoras em locais periféricos e carentes, á espaços publicos de qualidade, com espaços verdes, esquipamentos de lazer e esporte e presença de manifestações onde possam experimentar uma vida publica significativa, necessaria para o desenvolvimento de seres humanos sadios.

O relatório da Academia Americana de Pediatras apresenta pela primeira vez um manifesto forte, baseado em inumeros estudos e pedindo ações para transformação do espaço urbano. Veja abaixo o teor das recomendações:



American Academy of Pediatrics issues policy statement on the role ofthe built environment in children's health


In the June 2009 issue of the journal Pediatrics, the Committee onEnvironmental Health of the American Academy of Pediatrics published apolicy statement on the built environment and children's health. Theeight-page statement presents a critique of existing environmentalconditions for children, with an emphasis on the United States, andrecommends design principles that encourage active living.
The critique covers the inequitable distribution of parks andrecreational facilities in residential neighborhoods, car dependency,dangerous traffic, air pollution, sprawl, "big box" schools on theperiphery of towns and cities, a lack of sidewalks and streetconnectivity in many residential developments, and "food deserts" wherefresh healthy foods are unavailable. Recommendations includeneighborhood schools that encourage walking and biking, safe streets,sidewalks, increased density, mixed use developments, increasedinvestments in parks and recreational facilities, community gardens,attractive streetscapes, urban design that fosters "eyes on the street,"and programs like Safe Routes to School and walking school buses.
The statement concludes by urging pediatricians to become involved inlocal planning processes, identify barriers to physical activity in theenvironments of their patients and their families, and encourage parentsto advocate for better environments on children's behalf. It alsosuggests ways that governments can target legislation, funding, andregulations to promote the development of healthy communities forchildren. For everyone working for this goal, the statement signals thatinfluential new allies have emerged among the American Academy ofPediatrics and its members.
Committee on Environmental Health. (2009). The built environment:Designing communities to promote physical activity in children.Pediatrics, 123(6), 1591-1598.