Communities in California have found that the key to successful community change that improves health equity is ensuring that community residents

In Philadelphia, nearly 500 corner stores have been recruited into the Healthy Corner Store Initiative; some local businesses have received resources for equipment upgrades, shelving and refrigeration to sell produce, low-fat dairy products, and lean meats.

The City of Los Angeles passed its Child Nutrition Policy in 2005 requiring recreation centers and other youth-serving city departments and programs to offer more nutritious meals and snacks. With a unanimous vote in favor of the Child Nutrition Policy, LA City Council demonstrated its intention to make fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible while curtailing youth access to sugary sodas and salty, high-fat snacks.

Improving community environments requires a comprehensive approach that creates bridges across sectors. Over a period of roughly two years, stakeholders in the western unincorporated area of Alameda County (also called "The Eden Area") came together to identify, discuss, and debate the most important issues facing their communities and to develop a collective vision of livable communities and a prioritized set of actions.

In an effort to improve health outcomes for children, youth, and families, the City of Salinas joined together with the Violent Injury Prevention Coalition (VIPC) and their foundation, Partners for Peace, to launch a community collaborative planning process. The resulting framework, Cultivating Peace in Salinas, focuses primarily on reducing youth violence but also addresses overall community well being.

Located near North Richmond, California, the goal of EcoVillage Farm is to develop urban youth, and involve their families in an urban movement. EcoVillage programs and initiatives specifically target the North Richmond community, largely home to persons of color and low-income families.

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 Pixley, California, a small town of 2,500 that is predominantly Latino, the local school embraced joint use of its facilities, the highlight of which is Ballet Folkorico, a dance program that is run by parent volunteers. The benefits are far-reaching: children feel connected to their cultural heritage, it gives them greater self-confidence, improves their academics, and keeps them moving and active.

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.

In Chicago and the surrounding region, this membership-driven organization works on Complete Streets policies, local bikeways, safe routes to school, and public events to rally for streets that will accommodate bicyclists safely on their way to school and across the city.