Camden County Fit Together Partnership Increases Access to Physical Activity in Rural North Carolina

With just over 9,200 residents and no incorporated municipalities, Camden is a rural county in northeastern North Carolina that is poised for growth and development. Located on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and bordering Virginia, Camden County became a haven for developers due to its low cost of development, close proximity to Virginia, and accessibility to waterfront property. The population was increasing at such a rapid rate that the county imposed a moratorium on residential development from 2003 to 2007.

The rural nature of Camden County created challenges for residents seeking accessible areas to be physically active. As a result, the Camden County Fit Together partnership received a grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation to promote innovative and integrated strategies to increase access and reduce barriers to physical activity in rural North Carolina communities. Camden County has worked on two different approaches to ensure that new neighborhoods have safe, walkable, open areas; and residents of current subdivisions are aware of nearby safe routes they can walk and the distances of those routes.

Dan Porter, Director of Planning for Camden County and project director for the Fit Together grant, modified the Smart Growth Leadership Institute's Smart Growth Checklist in response to the residential moratorium being lifted. The checklist is a key part of the application that developers submit to the county planning department for approval to build new residential developments. It provides better ratings for development plans that include active living-friendly features based on the development's location, walkability, density, compactness and accessibility to transportation. Although the checklist is not required, developers are using it, and it is having a positive impact in Camden County.

At the start of 2007, four developers submitted residential plans to the county using the Smart Growth Checklist. One developer had a very low score and decided not to move forward with the plans. Another developer, who initially received a low score, used the Smart Growth Checklist criteria and made many changes to the development plan including adding more open spaces and walkable areas. As a result, its rating increased to the 85-90% range. Porter says it is important to first get "buy-in" for a new initiative or process in a rural county. After gaining acceptance the process becomes routine. Once both developers and planning commission view this as a routine part of their work, it will become a "de facto policy" in the county. Porter's approach provides a real-life example of how effective policy work does not always require changing the law.

In addition to the new Smart Growth guidelines, Camden County has also been helping residents identify more opportunities for routine physical activity. The Camden County Parks and Recreation Department, another Fit Together partner, heard that residents felt they did not know about good places to walk or never knew how far they were walking in their neighborhoods. Using GIS technology, they mapped specific routes in 16 different neighborhoods that are now available on the Camden County's government website. As a result of the grant, Camden County residents will have more accessible locations and new developments that encourage residents to walk around their neighborhoods.

Resources 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, Fit Together Grant Program

Camden County Government

Camden County Parks and Recreation, Subdivision Walking Maps

Camden County Smart Growth Checklist