The document discusses the negative impacts of school location and design on walking and biking to school, highlighting significant declines over time. It notes that larger school sites, often situated on the outskirts of communities due to outdated recommendations and various logistical challenges, correlate with fewer students walking or biking. The benefits of smaller schools integrated into neighborhoods include increased walking/biking rates, reduced traffic and emissions, higher test scores, and enhanced community involvement.

1. HEALTHY BEGINNINGS:
Impacts of School Location and Design
Jay Renkens, AICP,

6. Decline in Walking/Biking to
School
48%
13%
1969 Today

7. Decline in Kids Living within
1 mile of School
41%
31%
1969 Today

8. Reasons for Less Walking
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Distance Traffic
Danger
Weather Crime School
Policy
Other

9. Larger School Sites, Less
Walkable Schools
 School sites today are
41% larger than 20 years
ago
 Increased site size =
fewer schools = decline
in number of students
who walk/bike to school
 Reason: Distance!

10. Reasons for Large Schools on
Edge of Communities
 Out-of-date Council of Educational Facilities
Planners (CEFPI) recommendations
 Parking requirements
 Demand for recreation/sport spaces
 Land values
 School funding formulas
 Disregard for transportation costs
 School consolidation
 Existing land use patterns

11. Impacts
Smaller schools integrated into
neighborhoods contribute to:
 Reduction in traffic
 A 13 percent increase in walking and biking
 At least 15 percent decrease in emissions
 Higher test scores
 More parent and neighborhood
involvement
 Higher likelihood of passing bond issues

12. Lewis and Clark High School
(Spokane, WA)

13. Lewis and Clark High School
(Spokane, WA)

14. Bush Elementary School
(Salem, Oregon)

15. Bush Elementary School
(Salem, Oregon)

16. Hood River Middle School
(Hood River, Oregon)

17. Banks Middle School
(Banks, Oregon)

18. Banks Middle School
(Banks, Oregon)

19. Lessons Learned
 Engage local jurisdiction early in the
conversation
 Explore partnership opportunities
 Involve community members in evaluation
and decision making
 Consider full cost of capital investment, O&M
and transportation
 Don’t forget fencing, entries and end-of-trip
facilities

20. Resources
 OregonTransportation and Growth Management
Program’s Cool Planning: A Handbook on Local
Strategies to Slow Climate Change
 EPA’s Travel and Environmental Guide to School Siting
 CDC’s Adolescent and School Health
Jay Renkens, AICP
Director of Urban Planning Services
MIG, Inc.; Portland, Oregon
www.migcom.com
jayr@migcom.com