Healthy Places

Healthy Places

Hours
Mon - Fri 
9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Program Director
Scott Ulrich, AICP, CNU-A 
(614) 645-5318

[email protected]

Safe Routes to School
Katherine Swidarski 
(614) 645-0380 [email protected]

Request a New Map

If you do not see a map for your neighborhood and want to help create one, follow these steps to work with the Healthy Places Program to create a new map:

  1. Contact the Healthy Places Program: Call 614-645-1260 or send an email to [email protected] with "New Walking Map Request" in the subject line. The Healthy Places Program will complete maps on a first come, first serve basis.
  2. Select A Time of Year: The Healthy Places Program accepts requests year-round.  However, during the walking season- April-October- it may take up to 12 weeks to complete a map.  During the off-season, it can take between 4 to 6 weeks to complete the map.   
  3. Gather Your Neighbors: The Healthy Places Program requires that a neighborhood organization of some kind (i.e.: block watch, civic association, area commission, school, faith-based institution, or other neighborhood group) be involved in the creation of the walking map and be committed to promote it in the neighborhood. Local businesses may initiate creation of a walking map, but the map must serve the neighborhood as a whole where the business is located.
  4. Complete A Walk Study: A Walk Study is an audit of streets, sidewalks, and places in your neighborhood. It identifies barriers to walking and places where you feel safe and encouraged to walk. The Walk Study helps to decide what your walking map will look like. The findings of the Walk Study are shared with City of Columbus staff to bring neighborhood concerns to their attention and, if possible, be addressed. To perform the Walk Study, residents will walk their neighborhood with the Healthy Places Walking Programs Manager. A typical Walk Study can take between 1-2 hours to complete.  
  5. Share Your Map: The Healthy Places Program will create a pocket-size walking map of your neighborhood to be shared. Healthy Places will place copies of the map at recreation centers or libraries in your neighborhood and provide you with print copies of the map. In return, Healthy Places asks that you share the map with people throughout your neighborhood, at community meetings, or at events.