| Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco, California |
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The city’s youngest mayor in over a century, Newsom committed himself to making San Francisco the most pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly municipality in the nation. Toward that end, he secured $8 million in federal and local funds for the Better Streets program, which ensures that public health perspectives are fully integrated into urban planning processes. Gavin Newsom is an energetic advocate for healthy eating and active living and is widely credited with transforming San Francisco’s approach to nutrition, transportation and activity policies.The city’s youngest mayor in over a century, Newsom committed himself to making San Francisco the most pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly municipality in the nation. Toward that end, he secured $8 million in federal and local funds for the Better Streets program, which ensures that public health perspectives are fully integrated into urban planning processes. Newsom created an innovative bicycle-sharing pilot program and plans to double the city's existing network of bicycle lanes, which cover 44 miles of city streets. He also secured funds for the Great Street Initiative, which aims to encourage and facilitate walking and bicycling on major thoroughfares. As a result of these and other efforts, the League of American Bicyclists named San Francisco a “gold-level bicycle friendly community.” As a long-time supporter of the local food movement and an anti-poverty leader, Newsom backed an ordinance that expands farmers’ markets in lower-income communities and requires vendors to accept payment from federal, state and local food assistance programs. In 2008, he hosted the Urban Rural Roundtable to explore ways to promote regional food development and increased access to healthy affordable food. Newsom also helped launch a local Victory Garden program, which supports residents starting their own edible gardens. The first Victory Garden, which faces San Francisco City Hall, is a testament to his personal commitment to the cause. Gavin Newsom also has worked to improve the quality of food served in local schools. Working in close partnership with the local school district, Newsom helped 25 public schools install new salad bars featuring locally sourced vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole-grain breads and muffins. A 2008 evaluation of the salad bars found that 80 percent of the students going through the mealline take an item from the salad bar with very little waste. The program recently was expanded to include 42 schools. Nationally, Newsom may be best known for signing one of the country’s first menu-labeling bills into law, requiring that chain restaurants prominently display nutrition and calorie information on their menus. San Francisco’s leadership spurred the growth of the nationwide menu-labeling movement and led directly to the passage of California’s statewide labeling law. For more information, please call (415) 554-6141 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
Mayor Gavin Newsom is an energetic advocate for healthy eating and active living and is widely credited with transforming San Francisco’s approach to nutrition, transportation and activity policies.