Mayors + City Leaders Support Healthy Babies

Over the past six years, Healthy Babies Bright Futures’ Bright Cities network has grown to 30 cities working to reduce residents’ neurotoxic exposures. Through their work, these cities have provided powerful examples of actions that any city can take to reduce exposures that harm babies’ brain development.

What is a Bright City? A Bright City works to lessen the harm of neurotoxic chemicals in ways that are specific to their unique community.  Being a Bright City provides not only direct grant funding for a project, but also an opportunity to leverage additional national funding and set the stage for sustainable, equitable change. 

And most importantly, it provides a fresh opportunity for cities to ensure that all babies have equitable, just and healthy environments.

Bright Cities from across the United States have reduced exposures that harm babies’ brain development by taking actions like:

• Healthier Public Housing and Spaces | example projects: toxic free childcare training and nap mat exchanges, transition to chemical-free turf maintenance; and reducing lead exposures through education and/or remediation projects. | available case studies: Salt Lake City UT + Providence RI
• Cleaner Air | example projects: planting of trees and/or vegetative barriers near busy streets to reduce pollutants, transitioning park management strategies to chemical-free methods, and other green infrastructure projects. | available case studies: Columbia SC + Phoenix AZ
• Lead Mitigation | examples projects: community engagement related to lead service line replacement, integrating lead mitigation into rental property inspection policies, and completing energy efficient upgrades with lead mitigation
• Increased—mostly organic—Food Access | example projects: using municipal land for organic produce cultivation, increasing availability of local/organic produce; working collaboratively with residents in low access food areas to develop solutions to that lack of healthy food access. | available case studies: Lynn MA + Salem MA + Champaign IL + Salt Lake City UT + Wilkinsburg PA
• Environmentally Preferable Purchasing | example projects: environmentally preferable purchasing policies that require products purchased are sustainable and free of neurotoxic chemicals. | available case studies: Providence RI

How can cities get started? Each Bright City Case Study has a playbook for action that shares initial steps. We looked at all our case studies and synthesized the playbooks into one master playbook. Here are the 5 key steps that led to scalable, measurable change in Bright Cities, and the importance of each step in the words of a city leader:

• Champion Ideas of Staff + Partners  “As a city, we can—and must—do more to ensure that all residents have reliable access to the healthy, culturally appropriate foods they need. The Resident Food Equity Advisors have provided us with a menu of recommendations to help us achieve these goals and we look forward to getting to work.” Mayor Erin Mendenhall | Salt Lake City, Utah
• Meet Residents Where They are  “Since the CU City Farms initiative took shape, I have been so pleased with the positive response received from both the public and private sectors. Many community partners collaboratively joined together in a meaningful and reciprocal collaboration. This is a promising initiative for our community!” Mayor Deb Feinen | Champaign, Illinois
• Collect Project Data to Identify the Greatest Needs  “The funding we received from HBBF and MIP allowed the city of Salem to distribute over 7,000 pounds of healthy, locally grown produce to Salem families in summer 2021. In addition to improving access to healthy food, it was also a tremendous community building experience.” Mayor Kim Driscoll | Salem, Massachusetts
• Apply for Grants  “One of the most rewarding aspects of this project was sharing knowledge and resources about lead prevention and healthier eating with parents in our community. Parents were so appreciative about getting information that empowered them to provide a healthier life for their kids. Participation in programs like this are an invaluable asset, and I encourage all cities to apply for this grant.” Mayor Marita Garrett | Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania
• Identify + Implement Paths to Scale   “Building a more sustainable city is crucial to the health of residents. Children are especially susceptible to hazards such as poor air quality and extreme heat, and efforts to improve school and playground environments are incredibly important in improving health outcomes for our kids. This collaboration among Bright Cities, the Mayors Innovation Project, Arizona State University, Paideia Academies, and the City of Phoenix drives the development of tangible solutions to complex problems, and I am proud that this project will result in healthier, happier playtime.” Mayor Kate Gallego | Phoenix, Arizona

Is your City interested in being part of Healthy Babies Bright Futures’ Bright Cities program? To discuss this and anything else, please contact Bright Cities Program Director, Kyra Naumoff Shields at knaumoff@hbbf.org.