Galvestonians seeking to rebuild a healthier city

PBS Newshour profile

Jay Blazek Crossley, Sep 27, 11.

Some are working to redevelop Galveston Island following the destruction of Hurricane Ike in ways that results in greater access to healthy urbanism and fresh produce, according to PBS Newshour:

BETTY MASSEY, Recovery Committee: It wasn’t good enough to just go back the way we were. That wasn’t—that wasn’t what we wanted to do. We wanted to have some vision for our community.

BETTY ANN BOWSER: Massey’s vision is a city that builds structures that encourage exercise and make it easier for residents to get healthy food.

Those lofty goals have been endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control, the Institute of Medicine, and a growing body of evidence that shows things like bike paths, sidewalks and grocery stores can make a difference in health outcomes.

Some island residents think all that’s just a bunch of talk, but not Betty Massey.

BETTY MASSEY: It’s no more pie in the sky to rebuild a community with a healthier infrastructure than it is the hardscape. It’s no more pie in the sky to do that than it is for a town like Galveston to build higher, to stronger wind codes, to more wind- and flood-resistant buildings. Let’s build a community that is also more resilient, more sustainable.

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