Employed

Per Capita Income

Above Poverty

Economic

Preschool Enrollment

Bachelor's Education

High School Enrollment

Education

Voting

Census Response

Social

Automobile Access

Active Commuting

Transportation

Insured Adults

Healthcare Access

Retail Density

Park Access

Tree Canopy

Neighborhood

Severely Cost Burdened Low-Income Renters

Severely Cost Burdened Low-Income Homeowners

Housing Habitability

Uncrowded Housing

Homeownership

Housing

Ozone

Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5)

Diesel Particulate Matter

Safe Drinking Water

Clean Environment

Extreme Heat

Impervious Surfaces

Outdoor Workers

Public Transit Access

Sea Level Rise

Two Parent Households

Alcohol Availability

Supermarket Access

Decision Support

Everybody should have access to jobs, schools, shops and other essential goods and services which can impact one's health and quality of life. Living in a community with a mix of uses and destinations can improve health by reducing household costs, encouraging physical activity, reducing chronic diseases, improving mental health, fostering community connections and supporting community resilience to climate change and pollution. Retail density is a proxy for neighborhoods with a mix of uses and destinations, indicating areas with economic opportunities and transportation options. Living in a neighborhood with more options for work, education and shopping presents opportunities for people to reduce their regular travel. They may be able to walk, bike and take public transportation more, encouraging physical activity and reducing the need and cost of driving.

This is especially important for low-income households without access to a car and rely on walking, biking and transit to get around. Studies have found that more walkable areas can be predictors of longevity.

 Retail density can also indicate greater social cohesion and mental health, as people may be more socially connected and supportive of each other in neighborhoods that are more walkable and full of jobs, schools, shops and other destinations. In neighborhoods with lower retail densities and less options, people may need to travel to other communities to fulfill their daily needs, increasing the time they spend away from their families and transportation costs. Improving retail density by encouraging a greater mix of land uses within a community has potential to help make it a healthier place. It should be noted, however, that the quality of retail providers matters, as not all retail providers offer services or goods that promote and support health. For instance, fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and stores that sell tobacco and alcohol can actually worsen health outcomes if they are found in high concentrations in a neighborhood, and there are few healthy food options available. While retail density overall has the potential to promote greater health, the quality and concentration of outlets selling less healthy food and beverages can adversely affect health. For more on this, please see the 

This indicator measures the number of retail, entertainment, and education jobs per acre.

UC Berkeley Urban Displacement Project, “Gentrification, Displacement and the Role of Public Investment: A Literature Review,” March 3, 2015, http://iurd.berkeley.edu/uploads/Displacement_Lit_Review_Final.pdf.

Ramsey K, Bell A. Smart Location Database. Version 2.0 User Guide. Updated: March 14, 2014. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 2014.http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/sld_userguide.pdf

For a list of research studies linking retail density and health, see Florida, R., 2014, December 11. “Walkability is Good For You.” CityLab, available at https://www.citylab.com/design/2014/12/growing-evidence-shows-walkability-is-good-for-you-and-for-cities/383612/

Zuniga-Teran, A.A.; Orr, B.J.; Gimblett, R.H.; Chalfoun, N.V.; Guertin, D.P.; Marsh, S.E. Neighborhood Design, Physical Activity, and Wellbeing: Applying the Walkability Model. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14, 76.

Riggs, William W. and Gilderbloom, John (2016) "The connection between neighborhood walkability and life longevity in a midsized city," Focus: Vol. 13: Iss. 1, Article 11. Available at: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/focus/vol13/iss1/11

Younger M, Morrow-Almeida H, Vindigni S, and Dannenberg A. 2008. The built environment, climate change, and health: Opportunities for co-benefits. American Journal of Preventive Medicine: 35:5, 517-526.

Wolf K. 2014. Water and wellness: Green infrastructure for health co-benefits. Storm water Report: Water Environment Federation (WEF). stormwater.wef.org/2014/04/water-wellness/. Accessed 13 April 2016.

Improving retail density requires a range of strategies to assess the existing neighborhood amenities, determine the market feasibility for new uses, plan for equitable access, and make the neighborhood a safe, active and healthy place to live, work, learn and play. Jurisdictions seeking to improve their retail density should first 

. Planning efforts should typically start with an assessment of current land uses, centers of activity, retail centers, job centers, community needs, health conditions and gaps. In addition to the retail density indicator in the Healthy Places Index, planners should also consult other neighborhood, transportation, and economic indicators that are highly related measures, such as 

. A variety of resources on smart growth and retail density are available, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 

, the U.S. Green Building Council Development Density Guidelines, and the Urban Land Institute's 

Ten Principles for Rebuilding Neighborhood Retail

. Jurisdictions should be aware, however, that not all retail providers offer services or goods that promote and support health. For instance, fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and stores that sell tobacco and alcohol can actually worsen health outcomes if they are found in high concentrations in a neighborhood, and there are few healthy food options available. Jurisdictions should make efforts to avoid concentrations of these retail outlets. For more on this see 

In addition to land use planning, communities should also 

Improve Transportation Access to Support Increased Retail Density

. Because neighborhoods with higher retail density tend to have more destinations located near each other, there will be higher rates of people walking, bicycling and taking public transportation, as well as using shared mobility services. Communities should create opportunities for new businesses, retail and other essential destinations to be sited locally, and accommodate a range of transportation options.

Communities should also focus on economic development, especially 

 for small businesses, job training providers, and other employment and workforce services. They can use community land trusts and other land preservation strategies to ensure that the neighborhood's mix of destinations is culturally and economically appropriate to community residents.

Improving retail density is complex and can be expensive, but there are several funding sources available to California jurisdictions and park districts. The Strategic Growth Council's 

Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities

 programs are focused on equitable smart growth, while the California Natural Resources Agency's Urban Greening grant program can be a source for infrastructure improvements. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also has several 

 and Smart Growth America maintains a resources page with links to various funding sources and case studies. For information on transportation funding, please review the 

 policy guides. For economic development, the resources in the 

 section above includes potential funding sources.

Help lift whole communities economically, so people can afford the necessities of a healthy life.

Sufficient Evidence

Land Preservation Strategies

Community Power and Connection

Climate

Small Business Retention Initiatives

Middle-Wage Job Creation Strategies 

Equity

Community Land Trusts

Transportation to jobs, schools, and other essential destinations is fundamental to getting and keeping jobs, learning the skills necessary for employment, and accessing economic opportunities.

Pollution

Physical Activity

Active Transportation Infrastructure

Transit Service Expansion

Promising

Shared Transportation Systems

Policies Encouraging Safe Walking and Bicycling

Transportation Demand Management (TDM)

Plan for a mix of uses, including affordable housing, jobs, retail and other providers of essential goods and services, in close proximity to one another, so that people can access their daily needs near where they live.

Policy Guide

Retail Density

References