Built Environments

Improving built environments encourages active transportation,
strengthens social connections, and elevates overall well-being.

Help Us Connect People to Places and Each Other,
No Car Required!

Our communities should be places where everyone can move freely, connect with others, and lead active, healthy lives. Yet, for too long, transportation and land use planning have prioritized cars over people, leading to urban sprawl and disconnected neighborhoods. This has impacted not only our mobility but also our overall health and well-being.

At B.Healthy, we believe in designing vibrant, walkable, and bike-friendly communities that make it easier for residents to get around safely—whether by foot, bike, or wheelchair. By improving trails, sidewalks, bike lanes, parks, and public spaces, we can create places that foster social connections, economic growth, and healthier lifestyles for all ages.

Join us in shaping Barry County’s future! Let’s work together to build spaces where people can move, connect, and thrive—without always needing a car. Your voice and participation can help create healthier, more connected communities!

Encouraging People to Move Naturally

B.Healthy focuses on five major initiatives relating to improving the built environment to positively impact health outcomes throughout the Barry County.

  • Safe Road Crossings

    Pedestrian island demonstration project along the Hastings Riverwalk/M43/Tyden Park crossing

  • Trail Plans, Access and Wayfinding

    Barry County Trails Master Plan implementation

  • Accessible Connections

    Pedestrian Connectivity Plan for the Thornapple Manor Senior Campus

  • Advocacy and Education

    Complete Streets Educational Workshops

  • Social Connections & Fitness

    Expansion of Walking Groups throughout Barry County

B.Healthy Icon

We aim for "Complete Streets," an approach to planning, designing, building, operating, and maintaining streets that enable safe access for all people who need to use them; pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities.