Healthy Aging in the Hilltowns

Hilltown CDC has received a three-year grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to build on and expand age-friendly walkability in their rural region. Walkable communities emerged as a priority from an age-friendly initiative in the Northern Hilltowns in the fall and winter of 2019: in town after town, meeting after meeting, older adults said they did not feel safe crossing the road or walking in their Village Centers. The project covers Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Plainfield, Westhampton, Williamsburg, and Worthington, most of which have a state road bisecting their town center, sometimes carrying high-speed traffic. Hilltown CDC is partnering with Healthy Hampshire, the Northern Hilltown Council on Aging Consortium, and WalkBoston on the Healthy Aging grant.

Through the grant, Hilltown CDC and its partners will work to engage communities, conduct walk audits, identify opportunities to improve walkability, and advocate and collaborate on making improvements in each of the seven towns. They plan to take a different approach in each community, as some towns have already done substantial walkability work, while others are just beginning. While direct, in-person engagement with older adults was a critical piece of the original project proposal, project partners are currently working to revise their timelines to avoid in-person gatherings during COVID-19. They plan to begin by focusing on building strong relationships with the Select Boards in each town, as well as with MassDOT at the state level. They are also researching the possibility of engaging older adults virtually, although lack of broadband in the rural region poses a barrier.

“When we talk about transportation, walking really has a role. We believe that walking is very important – even in rural areas – for health reasons, for community, and for those businesses we do have in Village Centers, like the post office and the corner store. In rural communities as well, people can and should be able to walk to amenities. Hilltown CDC has had a longtime commitment to Village Center model, and this is a really important project to us from that perspective,” explains Kate Bavelock, Director of Community Programs at the CDC.