Now in its eighth year, the Kansas Built Environment and Outdoor Summit continues its tradition of excellence by providing attendees resources to enhance their efforts to promote health as it relates to the built environment and the outdoors. The summit highlights the ways in which the design of a community — where people live, work, learn and play — and the built environment — a community’s bikeability and walkability, access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and safety — profoundly affect each community member’s ability to be healthy and active. Notable past BEOS presenters include: Drs. Ruth Ann and Paul Atchely, Heather Wooten, Michael Wesch, Jay Walljasper, Richard Louv, Mark Fenton, Chuck Flink, Dan Burden, Richard Jackson, M.D., Darwin Hindman, Fran Mainella and Barry Weiss. The idea for a comprehensive conference to promote active and healthy living in local communities came together in 2007 when the Kansas Recreation and Park Association and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks incorporated a planned workshop on trails with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s goal of having an educational event that promoted the concept of building healthy communities. The first Built Environment and Outdoor Summit was held Oct. 18-19, 2007, in Lawrence, Kan. The event is planned and coordinated by a variety of state, local government, non-profit and community organizations and advocates who are committed to promoting active lifestyles and healthy environments.
