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Promoting Physical Activity in the Caribbean

(Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, 6–7 May 2008)

The objective of this training course was provide education on the value of physical activity for assuring people's health and preventing obesity and chronic disease. Real-life examples were taken from a broad variety of countries (including those of the Americas) showing built environments, public spaces, and urban planning that promote walking and biking both for recreation and as a valid means of getting places, as well as the use of public transportation and the importance of green spaces. The presentations in the four training sessions contain the latest data on the obesity epidemic and hundreds of photographs that speak for themselves. They prove how concepts of prioritizing opportunities for physical activity can be applied both effectively and sustainably, with arguments concerning their validity that refute common myths as to why it can't be done.  |  List of Participants (2 pp, PDF, 55 Kb)

Training Materials Used in Sessions (all in PowerPoint PDF)

Session presented by Dr. Enrique Jacoby, PAHO Regional Advisor on Healthy Eating and Active Living: Closing Two Gaps in Physical Activity Promotion: The WHAT & WHY and the WHO, HOW, WHERE & WHEN (67 slides, 6.6 Mb)

3 sessions presented by Gil Peñalosa, Executive Director, Walk & Bike for Life

1. Walk & Bike for Life (212 slides, divided into parts)

1. Introduction and copyright notices (16 slides, 1.9 Mb)
2. Myth 1: The weather (cold, hot, rain, snow...) makes walking/bicycling impossible in xyz (5 slides, 1017 Kb)
3. Myth 2: Walking and bicycling is just fun and games. (38 slides, 6 Mb)
4. Myth 3: Streets are just for motor vehicles. (7 slides, 102 Kb)
5. Myth 4: It's too expensive. There is no budget. (50 slides, 11.2 Mb)
6. Myth 5: It's too difficult. (34 slides, 10.7 Mb)
7. Myth 6: European cities were built "people friendly." Not a recent change. (35 slides, 20 Mb)
8. Myth 7: You can change and still do things the same way (27 slides, 11.8 Mb)

2. Walkable Cities & Public Spaces (134 slides, divided into parts)

1. Introduction and copyright notices (12 slides, 1.04 Mb)
2. Symptoms (11 slides, 5.1 Mb)
3. Characteristics: What makes a public space great? (20 slides, 8.04 Mb)
4. Characteristics: What makes a city park system great? (23 slides, 8.18 Mb)
5. Myth: If you want something done well ... do it yourself. (6 slides, 295 Kb)
6. Myth: Walkable communities is about building sidewalks. (18 slides, 6.53 Mb)
7. Reasoning (6 slides, 143 Kb)
8. Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago:
   1 (8 slides, 7.7 Mb) | 2 (6 slides, 8.01 Mb) | 3 (3 slides, 7.09 Mb)

3. Streets for Life (115 slides, divided into parts)

1. Introduction and copyright notices (12 slides, 1.1 Mb)
2. Bogotá, Colombia (Ciclovías and Car-Free Day) (47 slides,12 Mb)
3. Guadalajara, Mexico (Vía Recreativa) (8 slides, 2.5 Mb)
4. Ottawa, Canada (Sunday Bike-Days) (8 slides, 1.7 Mb)
5. Westchester Country, NY, USA (Bronx River Parkway Bicycle Sundays) (3 slides, 74 Kb)
6. Melbourne, Australia (Cyclovia) (5 slides, 256 Kb)
7. El Paso, Texas, USA (Walk & Bike for Life) (8 slides, 3.27 Mb)
8. Paris, France (Streets for People: Summer Recreation for All) (16 slides, 2.54 Mb)
9. It is NOT about money. It is NOT a technical issue. What is needed. (7 slides, 452 Kb)

(A fourth course by Mr. Peñalosa on Walking and Bicycling: Creating Healthy & Competitive Cities can be found at the workshop on the mobilization and response of the Caribbean private sector.)

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