Our Living Well Initiative

By John Valentine

The DNA's new project is the Living Well Initiative.

This project can make an impact on the lifestyle of Downtowners and we are committed to leading the way to create a healthy neighborhood in Downtown Pittsburgh.

The mission is to increase health and longevity for our residents and workforce. The DNA intends to improve the Downtown Pittsburgh community by creating a healthier place to live and work. We will set out by partnering with local restaurants and grocery stores to promote more nutritious, affordable foods. We will also work with gyms, personal trainers, yoga and pilates instructors, walking tour companies and bike groups to give the residents and workforce of Downtown Pittsburgh opportunities to exercise while socializing with their peers.

With the cooperation of individuals, policy makers, and employers, this program will help Downtowners live longer, healthier lives and attract newcomers in the future.

When people are surrounded by opportunities to be more active and healthier, they are more likely to take advantage of them. Our hope for Downtown is to provide these choices, as there is both a need and high demand.

Living Well areas are places where people live measurably longer, happier lives with lower rates of chronic diseases and a higher quality of life. Bringing this to Pittsburgh would require more nutritious food choices at restaurants and grocery stores, higher levels of community engagement, and better infrastructure for people to walk and bike to work. Hobbies like gardening or playing sports would be encouraged. Overall, the community would be organized to push individuals in the right direction both physically and mentally.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (Health and Healthy Places) states that “healthy places are those designed and built to improve the quality of life for all people who live, work, worship, learn, and play within their borders—where every person is free to make choices amid a variety of healthy, available, accessible, and affordable options”.

Living Well Initiative areas provide opportunities for people to connect with one another. The DNA already has created programs to encourage this type of activity, such as a bike club and a dinner club which will include a community potluck. There will also be cooking demonstrations to show individuals how they can create a delicious, healthy meal in their own kitchen. All of these experiences provide opportunities for people to learn skills to help them make healthier choices in their own lives, while interacting with their neighbors.

Currently, many people who live and work downtown travel to other areas of Pittsburgh for meals. Although there are more locally owned restaurants than fast food and chains, they still have limited options for healthy and vegetarian/vegan friendly food. By creating more options downtown, we would retain the business of people living and working here, investing more money in their own community.

People who work long hours don’t have time to cook for themselves. Many turn to fast food restaurants as a result. Less caloric grab and go or fast casual options would greatly improve the wellbeing of workers. Furthermore, the only grocery store in the area is Target, pushing those who do have time to cook to other neighborhoods to do their shopping. The Living Well Initiative program would erase the need for this, since healthy food would be easily available across the Golden Triangle.

Programs to get community members together to voice their concerns and recommendations will help bind it closer together. The DNA’s Resident Ambassador program is a model of this, with tenants from various buildings downtown acting as representatives at monthly meetings. Locations such as Mellon Square, Market Square, and Point State Park make gathering easy in the Golden Triangle. A Living Well Initiative program would help to further promote these areas as places to spend time, and possibly organize outdoor events. Farmers’ markets are already a staple of Market Square, pushing workers and city dwellers to interact more with their community while buying food for a healthy lifestyle.

While Pittsburgh’s natural geography and complicated street design may make getting around by car difficult, walking and biking are both tools to make the city more navigable as well as heart-healthy ways to travel. More bike lanes promote an activity with two functions, transportation and exercise.

The Center for Disease Control recommends that individuals take around 2,000 steps per day. By walking or biking to work, Pittsburghers can easily complete this goal. Additionally, the Living Well Initiative program could partner with organizations such as Bike Pittsburgh to further advocate for bicyclists downtown. Summer events like Open Streets, which closes down certain sets of roads for pedestrians and bicyclists to use as they wish, show residents the joys of exploring their city by foot. With more programs like this, others may be encouraged to drive or take the bus less.

To promote the Living Well Initiative, we have several marketing channels that we want to utilize. Promoting through our resident ambassadors who each represent their Downtown building to ensure that both residents and local businesses can participate in our program. Social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter will be used to promote the Living Well Initiative and the businesses that have partnered with us through graphics and photographs. The Downtowner, our weekly newsletter and our newly formed podcast will both discuss the initiative, giving residents and local businesses owners multiple places to learn about how to get involved. Additionally, we will strategically place flyers Downtown.

Partnering with restaurants and grocery stores to promote nutritious, affordable foods is the first step in our Living Well Initiative. Pushing for more vegan and vegetarian choices on menus and smaller-size options for comfort foods will encourage long-term, healthy eating habits. Some restaurants have already pledged to join in this mission. This partnership has shown that local shops and restaurants are willing to take steps to improve the health of the Downtown community. By reaching out to other local purveyors, we can make Downtown a mecca for healthful choices.

While food and exercise are incredibly important to one’s wellness, the mind is just as crucial to maintain. Rather than sitting at home and watching TV alone, the Living Well Initiative would promote group activities. Humans are social beings, and regular interaction with others is necessary for mental wellness. In addition, immersion in intellectual activities would also be part of the program. The promotion of bookstores, lectures, and panel discussions would stimulate the minds of Pittsburghers and open them to new interests.

Please check future editions of this newsletter for more information.