Target Areas    

West County HEAL Collaborative is working mainly within three defined areas: the City of Richmond, The City of San Pablo, and the unincorporated area of North Richmond.  We are working within these communities to create HEAL Zones a select area that we will focus our energy in to promote healthier communities.

What is HEAL Zone?

A defined zone within the target area in which we focus, concentrate and coordinate our efforts, not just in the Community Sector, but across virtually all sectors.  These are areas of several blocks that are densely populated magnets for work, school, health care and community services, i.e., with all four sectors represented.  It contains relevant assets that can be successfully built upon to achieve our HEAL objectives. 

How to create HEAL Zones


Our vision is that by defining the area (with banners and signage, messaging and cues) and working to bring about comprehensive policy and environmental change within that area, we will elevate these zones, and over the long-term, all of Richmond would become a HEAL Zone.  We can maximize the return on our finite resources by targeting them to areas where we reach people with appropriate realistic messages for their daily life.  For example, we connect them to safer sidewalks, bike paths, or trails that have been brought about, implemented or enhanced through policy change and we promote the existing culture of “mercados,” or corner stores selling fresh produce and healthy food that are culturally-specific, like Latino and Asian markets, through the establishment of new policies and practices.  We go right where they are and make healthy eating and active living doable, easy, non-threatening, educational, and enticing.  And we build upon the existing work and momentum of other projects, groups and organizations as well as community sensibilities, so that ideally, all of the efforts related to this issue in the target area are integrated and leveraged. 

Criteria for selcting the HEAL Zones


The criteria for choosing these zones include the presence of or plans for stores, gardens, trails, parks and other open spaces, mercados, farmers’ markets, goods and services, traffic calming measures, walkability and routes, bike lanes, schools, workplaces, health and community centers and services, population density and crime data. Community residents who receive stipends will play a central role in data gathering and community outreach to finalize specific plans for each area. Our two HEAL Zone locations are in North Richmond and Central Richmond/San Pablo.

Specific Zones


North Richmond Zone: This zone is bordered by and includes Giaramita Street on the East, Chesley Avenue on the South, 3rd Street on the West and Verde Avenue/N. Richmond City baseball Field/the path on the Bay on the North. This is a 17-square block area, plus the path to the Bay. Contained in this area are many community anchors, including Verde Elementary School, North Richmond Center for Health, Neighborhood House's Multicultural Senior and Family Center, and Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC). Assets also include the baseball field and the path that could provide safe access to the bay, open space and Bay Trail.
 
Zone-specific Emphasis: 23rd Street Corridor Zone: This zone runs along 23rd Street from San Pablo Avenue on the North to MacDonald Avenue on the South, approximately 1 mile long and includes some areas 1-2 blocks off the avenue, specifically Dover Elementary and Helms Middle School. Richmond High is situated in the center of the zone. It spans the San Pablo and Richmond border and falls along a section of 23rd Street that is being developed by both cities.  23rd Street is commercial and is dotted with small businesses including mercados, restaurants, and corner stores whose wares include healthy foods. There is a 23rd merchants association and soon-to-be Hispanic 23rd Street merchants association. There is a concentration of retailers/merchants and teenage youth.

Zone-specific Emphasis: