environmental wellness – UNC Healthy Heels

I voted sticker with question mark. — “I Voted?” 2004 by Ken Wilson. Flickr.

Earlier this month, residents of Chapel Hill elected a mayor, four town council members, and four school board members. All three elections were close and contested. An incumbent mayor lost in Chapel Hill for the first time in five decades and a single percentage point decided many of the other races. In addition, voters approved bonds for over $40 million to be spent on parks, solid waste, streets, sidewalks, and storm water infrastructure. (1)

These local officials and policy decisions will have an impact on the entire Chapel Hill community, including students at UNC.

Participation in US presidential elections tends to hover around 50% voter turnout. In midterm years those numbers are smaller. In off years, where only local elections are on the ballot, the numbers are dismal. (2) The estimated voter turnout for our recent election was 16%. This means only one in six eligible voters in Chapel Hill went to the polls this year. (3)

Considering how close the recent elections were, these numbers are concerning and indicate that a fairly small minority of voters are making decisions for the vast majority of residents.

While efforts to increase voter participation need to continue, and conversations that question who is and who is not eligible to vote in the first place need to be considered; it’s also important to note that there are lots of other ways to engage with and influence our community throughout the year.

Student voices are an important part of Chapel Hill’s social and environmental wellness. Students have a lot to offer the community, and in turn, the students have a lot they could learn from our town.

Old map of Chapel Hill, NC. — “Chapel Hill NC 1969.” 2012 by davecito. Flickr.

Below are a few ways you can become more civically engaged in our town outside of Election Day.

Go to Town Council Meetings

Chapel Hill Town Council Meetings are held at Chapel Hill Town Hall on Monday nights at 7 pm. These meetings are open to the public and include time for residents to learn about town governance and policy as well as speak and contribute to the conversation. If you are curious about what issues are at play in Chapel Hill, this is a great place to start. (4)

Join an Advisory Committee, Board, or Commission

Chapel Hill has around 20 resident advisory groups that help shape town policy on issues ranging from the environment to art, parking to human rights, and cemeteries to libraries. Resident advisory groups typically meet once a month and allow individuals to get hands-on experience with issues they care deeply about. Check the town website regularly for vacancies and consider applying. (5)

Explore Chapel Hill

Perhaps the most important way to be civically engaged and contribute to the town environmental and social wellness is to explore, be present, and give back. Challenge yourself to check out all that Chapel Hill has to offer and figure out ways you can contribute to the collective community. Buses are always free and there are amazing resources around town that depict the history, culture, and vibrancy of this community.

For a deeper look and appreciation of the Northside and Pine Knolls, two of Chapel Hill’s most historic and important neighborhoods, go to the Marian Cheek Jackson Center for Saving and Making History. For a broader view of the many things Chapel Hill has to offer, check out the Visitors Center on Franklin Street. (6) (7)

Will McInerney is a Program Assistant at Student Wellness with the UNC Men’s Project. Will’s work focuses on engaging men in gender equity and violence prevention efforts at UNC Chapel Hill. Will is also a freelance writer and radio producer, a regular contributor to the Chapel Hill News, News and Observer, and North Carolina Public Radio, and has been featured on NPR, American Public Media, and Al Jazeera English.

Sources

There are plenty of personal reasons to walk, jog, bike or otherwise actively get around: it increases one’s own ability to get exercise, it’s cheap (or free!), and can have positive mental health outcomes like lowering stress and anxiety. But, actively getting around has greater altruistic benefits as well. Many of these are centered around the “eyes on the street” principle from sociologist Jane Jacobs:

“This is something everyone knows: a well-used city street is apt to be a safe street. A deserted city street is apt to be unsafe.”

The idea here is that the more eyes you have on a given street, the greater sense of community ownership and safety. The spirit of “eyes on the street” is not so much about watching what’s around us, but rather seeing and taking a part in what is around us, and thus, shaping the community. Here are the “eyes on the street” benefits of actively getting around campus and community by walking, biking, jogging, etc.:

"Just Walking"; Beverly Goodwin; Flickr Creative Commons — “Just Walking”; Beverly Goodwin; Flickr Creative Commons

Getting to know community and community members

It sounds like a no-brainer, but actively getting around campus and the community allows us to get better acquainted with neighbors and those around us. When we choose to walk or bike versus drive, we have the ability to interact with those around us by smiling, waving, taking a minute to talk, etc. In a local example: in the Chapel Hill community, these kinds of connections with surroundings and neighbors can help bridge the UNC campus to the greater Chapel Hill community.

Neighborhood health and safety benefits

Actively getting around a community also means actively taking part in it. That means acknowledging what we appreciate about a neighborhood, and, importantly, it also means spotting things that seem like they need attention—from a large crack in the sidewalk, to a stray dog, to a jogger who has fallen. This can lead to benefits in crime-reduction and generally making things safer.

Increases community norms around activity

Actively getting around campus and community is contagious. The more people you see walking around, the more likely you might be to walk around yourself! In this way, being an active commuter is a way of changing social norms around activity.

Resources

These are just some of the community-wide benefits of actively getting around a community. Though we’ve focused on the benefits of actively getting around, it’s important to be safe while doing so. For more information on pedestrian and cyclist safety check out links at the UNC Department of Public Safety, and the Town of Chapel Hill.