Most Recent Heart Case Studies

Green Communites Active and Safe Routes to School  

The Green Communities Active and Safe Routes to School program encourages families to reduce automobile use and increase physical activity for children as they travel to and from school. Following its pilot implementations by Greenest City, the program expanded to other schools across the Greater Toronto Area and then throughout Ontario. Green Communities Canada now supports delivery of Active and Safe Routes to School programs nationwide. Updated in 2005.

Marley Station Mall  

This pilot used simple signs to promote health and weight control by encouraging the use of stairs instead of escalators.

Improving Employee Transportation: The Cambie Corridor Consortium  

The Cambie Corridor Consortium (CCC) was the first transportation management association (TMA) established in Canada. A TMA is an alliance of business, government, and other groups that aims to reduce traffic in a particular area by pooling resources and expertise. Cambie's aim is to reduce the number of single occupancy vehicles commuting to the Cambie/Broadway area of Vancouver and improve air quality by providing alternative transportation solutions and information. Approximately 25,000 employees are represented through CCC's 21 members.

Seattle Neighborhoods In Motion  

Seattle's In Motion program uses tantalizing neighborhood prompts followed by direct outreach to engage residents in learning about and trying travel options. King County Metro (KCM) has completed demonstrations in three neighborhoods, and additional demonstrations are now being conducted by several partner cities. Based on the Individualized Marketing apparoach, it was designed for easy replication, and a program how-to guide is currently being prepared to facilitate implementation by others.

Bike Smarts  

The Bike Smarts program was introduced in Lochside Elementary School to educate students about bicycle safety and to encourage them to travel by bicycle. As part of theprogram, parents of the students became involved in cycling to school with their children and participated in a cycling field trip.

The Clean Air Commute  

Pollution Probe hosts an annual, month-long Clean Air Campaign to raise awareness about smog, vehicle emissions and related respiratory problems. The main event of this campaign is The Clean Air Commute, a one-day event in which employees pledge to carry out cleaner commuting practices. In 1996 a pilot was conducted to build on the one-day event and measure the resulting changes over a period of three months.

Commuter Challenge: Environment Canada's Participation  

This case study illustrates the successful engagement of a large organization (Environment Canada) in a broad-scale staff participation program. That program, the Commuter Challenge, is a Canada-wide NGO-led event that challenges commuters to reduce the use of single-occupant vehicles during a specific time frame. It is used as an awareness raising initiative and to promote trial of an activity, not as a scientific auditing or survey tool.

British Columbia's Way to Go! Program  

A tiny pilot project in the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) that got families out of their cars and onto the street has grown into a burgeoning province-wide active transportation program. Between December, 1998, and spring, 2001, 350 schools in British Columbia embraced the Way To Go! school trip reduction project.

Calgary Commuter Challenge  

The Calgary Commuter Challenge is an annual, weeklong event designed to encourage commuters to use cleaner and healthier forms of transportation. Participating organizations compete with each other for the highest rates of employee participation. The city of Calgary also competes against other Canadian cities in the nation-wide Commuter Challenge.

20/20 The Way to Clean Air  

20/20 The Way to Clean Air involves individuals in the Greater Toronto Area in reducing home energy use and vehicle use by 20%. It asks participants to make a small commitment (some easy-to-do activities done for a period of two weeks) leading to a larger commitment (longer-term, greater cost savings actions) and connects them with programs and services that help them succeed.

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