Shape Up Somerville

Shape Up Somerville is a city wide campaign to increase daily physical activity and healthy eating through programming, physical infrastructure improvements, and policy work.  The campaign targets all segments of our community, including schools, city government, civic organizations, community groups, businesses, and other people who live, work, and play in Somerville. 

This effort began as a community based research study at Tufts University targeting 1st through 3rd graders in the Somerville Public Schools. Today we are working on active and healthy living programs supported by the Health Department and a Taskforce that is a collaboration of over 15 initiatives and hundreds of stakeholders involved in working on various interventions across the city, such as:

• Data Murals Depicting Our Work
• Engagement with Vulnerable Populations
• Extension of the Community Path
• Farmers markets/Mobile Markets (map and schedules [2]) and community/school gardens
• Green Line Subway Extension
• Healthcare Partnerships
• Healthy Restaurants
• Monthly community celebrations of Walk/Ride Days  
• Policy Initiatives
• School Food Service Improvements
• Structured Physical Activity Throughout the School Day
• Urban Agriculture Connections
• Safe Routes to School
• Walkable and Bikeable Streets and Neighborhoods
• Worksite Wellness

Click here [3] to see more information about the original study.

Assessing Child Obesity Measures 2002-2011 [4].