Healthy Communities
Well-ahead Louisiana supports healthy communities work in bogalusa
Over the past year, Well-Ahead Louisiana has provided coaching to community leaders and residents of Bogalusa to develop a Mayor’s Wellness Council and healthy community coalition – Bogalusa Strong! One of Bogalusa Strong’s goals is to build a community that supports active living. In June 2018, Well-Ahead sponsored a Healthy Community Design Workshop and Walk Audit led by Mark Fenton, a national public health, planning, and transportation consultant who helps communities become healthier and more active places to live. These workshops are designed to assist communities in building environments, policies and programs that help to create places where more people want to walk, bike, and play!
On day one, Fenton led a small group of city leaders on a windshield tour of the community to explore the challenges to, and supports for, healthy lifestyles. On day two, more than 50 stakeholders and community members participated in a workshop that included a presentation of best practices and a facilitated walk audit to explore some typical conditions in the community on foot.
Following the walk audit, Fenton lead a work session in which participants developed both short and long-term recommendations to improve the health of the community – many of which were simple and low-cost solutions. He then provided the coalition with a detailed report outlining the next steps. City leaders are now actively working towards implementation of workshop recommendations in order to move Louisiana’s health forward!

Did You Know?
- The built environment includes the physical makeup of where we live, learn, work, and play. The built environment can influence overall community health and individual behaviors such as physical activity and healthy eating.
MOVING LOuisiana's health forward
See which organizations are positively affecting their communities by checking out our ‘Find A WellSpot’ map located here. If you are interested in joining them by becoming a WellSpot click here or email wellahead@la.gov to learn more!