http://www.jointuse.org/discuss/tags/policy People across California care deeply about joint use. Log in or register to speak to them here. New to the joint use forum? Registration is easy and only takes a minute. Enter your email address and create a username and password. This is not an anonymous discussion board, and we encourage participants to choose a username that includes both their first and last names. Because we want to learn from each other and, together, build a movement for joint use, it is important for people to know who they are talking to. Once you've logged in, click "add new" to post a comment, or click on an existing post's title to read and/or reply. en-US Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:13:02 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://www.jointuse.org/discuss/search.php http://www.jointuse.org/discuss/topic/new-bill-would-make-it-easier-for-californians-to-be-active#post-3 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:42:01 +0000 mmartinez 3@http://www.jointuse.org/discuss/ <p>In so many parts of California, we see nothing but rows of stores, chain malls, and freeways galore. When our communities are laid out in ways that make pavement more accessible than park space, it’s not surprising that so many of us are having a tough time getting the exercise we need to be healthy. The problem is even worse in communities of color, where there is much less open space, so it’s even harder to be active. We know we need more sidewalks, more parks, more places to walk and play. The thing is, there's an immediate answer right under our nose: joint use, the idea that we can share spaces that are already there. If your community is lucky enough to have school grounds with green grass, jungle bars, a slide -- isn’t it silly to let those facilities go unused most hours of the week when they could be used by families and children? The smart thing to do is open school grounds after hours so communities can be more physically active. We can do this now by creating joint use agreements. At CPEHN, we feel strongly that joint use agreements will improve kids’ health in communities across California, especially in places that have the fewest resources to help people be healthy. That’s why we’re supporting a new bill from Assemblymember Torlakson that would make it easier for all communities to make the most of the resources they already have.  </p>