DeKalb County is working toward a healthier community with smokefree parks adn public spaces, safe routes for biking and walking, and improved access to fresh fruits and vegetables for schoolchildren and adults.

The Communities United for Health coalition formed to create a "healthy zone" in the Shawnee neighborhood by limiting alcohol and tobacco promotional signage, increase adequate lighting, and decrease graffiti to positively influence perceptions of safety.

In 2004, the Food Trust in Philadelphia, PA, in partnership with The Reinvestment Fund and the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, identified a strong need for government investment to finance supermarkets, grocery stores, and other healthy food retailers in underserved communities. This led to the first statewide fresh food financing initiative.

African Americans in Louisville, Kentucky, as in the rest of the U.S., experience greater health inequities compared to other racial and ethnic groups. This population, in particular, disproportionately experiences illness, violence-related injuries and premature death. In response, the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness's Center for Health Equity is tracing the pathway from illness and injury to the community conditions, norms and root factors that lead to poor health and inequity in the first place. By building capacity among historically disenfranchised neighborhoods, CHE is leading an urban movement to promote equal opportunities for health and safety.

Working to reduce violence and crime in South Los Angeles, California, this community-driven, grassroots effort organizes community residents to close neighborhood liquor stores that negatively impact community health and safety.

In Louisville, Healthy Corner Stores are opening up to improve healthy food environments, while the Metro Council has approved a resolution to support voluntary menu labeling in local restaurants.

To increase access to healthy foods in low-income neighborhoods, the Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support (MDHFS) is working with 10 convenience stores to improve the availability, affordability and quality of fresh produce and healthy foods for residents.

WeTHRIVE! is a collaborative movement focused on changing social norms by creating policy, systems and environmental changes, with the ultimate goal of promoting healthy eating and physical activity in Hamilton County.

With a membership base of over 2,000, Community Farm Alliance spearheads policies to support family farming in rural Kentucky and creates access to healthy fresh fruits and vegetables among urban, West Louisville's primarily African American residents through a blend of programs and policies.

In Woodbury County, policies to support local, organic foods have helped to tip the scales in support of more sustainable practices that have potential benefits not only for economic vitality, but also for the health of the community.