Healthy Community Strategies

We provide planning and technical assistance to aid communities with equitable access to fresh foods, development of local food systems, and design of places that encourage physical activity and community connection. Selected project examples are featured below.

Colorado

Colorado Fresh Food Financing Fund (CO4F) (2013-present): CO4F reached a major milestone in early 2023 with the full deployment of program funds, translating to over $13 million in loan and grant dollars disbursed to grocery businesses and nonprofit entities in communities across the state. P.U.M.A. had provided eligibility screening and administrative support to CO4F since the program’s inception in 2013. Led by senior associate Andrea Buglione, P.U.M.A. was instrumental in broadening the program’s scope to include projects beyond food retail, such as aggregation and distribution, healthy prepared food and meals, and other innovative community food access initiatives, and for retooling evaluation criteria with a stronger emphasis on food justice. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of such an impactful program and for our decade-long partnership with the Colorado Housing & Finance Authority (CHFA) and the Colorado Enterprise Fund (CEF). To stay updated about any Colorado food access funding opportunities in the future, please refer to https://www.chfainfo.com/business-lending/co4f.

Denver, Colorado

Public Restrooms Pilot Project (2018): In 2016, the City of Denver rolled out a mobile public restroom pilot project in and near downtown. P.U.M.A. was hired to explore the possibility of making them permanent. We conducted extensive outreach, recording information and experiences in real time around the need for more public restrooms. Our report built a strong social, economic, health, and humanitarian case for more permanent public restrooms and identified the best locations for them.

Lamar, Colorado

Healthy Places Initiative (2013-2017): The Healthy Places Initiative was funded by The Colorado Health Foundation (TCHF) to encourage healthy lifestyles through changes to the built environment. Lamar was awarded $1 million from TCHF to implement the recommendations of an Urban Land Institute advisory panel. P.U.M.A. was selected by TCHF to provide technical assistance, working for three years on consensus building, public/private financing, downtown revitalization and economic development.

Denver, Colorado

Healthy Places Initiative (2013-2017): The Healthy Places Initiative was funded by The Colorado Health Foundation (TCHF) to encourage healthy lifestyles through changes to the built environment. The Westwood neighborhood was awarded $1 million to implement recommendations from an Urban Land Institute advisory panel. P.U.M.A. was selected by TCHF to provide technical assistance with a focus on consensus building, streetscapes and parks, neighborhood revitalization, and economic development.

Arvada, Colorado

Healthy Places Initiative (2013-2016): The Healthy Places Initiative was funded by The Colorado Health Foundation (TCHF) to encourage healthy lifestyles through changes to the built environment. Arvada was awarded $1 million from TCHF to implement the recommendations of an Urban Land Institute advisory panel. P.U.M.A. was selected by TCHF to provide technical assistance with a focus on consensus building, streetscapes and parks, neighborhood revitalization, and economic development.

Various U.S. Cities

EPA Local Food, Local Places (2016): P.U.M.A. was selected as part of the team to provide technical assistance for the Local Foods, Local Places program, which is designed to help communities capitalize on the growing demand for local foods. The program was run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and regional partners.

Wheat Ridge, Colorado

Quantifying the Economic & Health Benefits of Walkable Districts (2014): Wheat Ridge 2020 hired P.U.M.A. to research and assemble compelling evidence to demonstrate the economic and health benefits of walkable and bikeable streets in business districts. The deliverables included a sourced research paper, case studies from other cities, and stories from business owners along the 38th Avenue corridor, the city’s Main Street, who supported the conversion.

Denver, Colorado

FRESH (2013): P.U.M.A. was contracted by Denver FRESH (Food Retail Expansion to Support Health) to provide market research and profiles of grocers to develop strategies for attracting grocers to underserved market areas. We conducted primary research with grocers to understand the market fundamentals; supported the city to develop preliminary food access and market data; compared the desired market characteristics with the preliminary data; and outlined market profiles in affected communities.