The City of Scottsdale is on a mission to boost its health and longevity credentials by eyeing the title of Arizona's first official "Blue Zone," a term that signifies a utopia of wellness, where people live longer than average, often past 100, thanks to lifestyle and environmental factors. It is a concept backed by research from National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner and is gaining traction across the U.S., with over 70 cities on board. This initiative involves employing community-wide wellness strategies to create the essential Blue Zone atmosphere, as reported by 12 News .

HonorHealth, a prominent healthcare system serving Scottsdale and Phoenix, along with the City of Scottsdale, have partnered to pursue this transformative project, kicking off with a health readiness assessment, the success of which could label Scottsdale as a Blue Zone, per HonorHealth . This collaboration seeks to foster longevity by influencing the "Life Radius," where Sarah Kearny, Executive Director of Blue Zones Project Scottsdale, stated we make the healthy choice the easy choice in all the spaces and places we frequent the most.

Regional assets, like hiking and biking trails, are considered a boon, which the community plans to capitalize on and enhance further, aiming to integrate Blue Zone's principles seamlessly into residents' lives, Sarah Kearny emphasized in a 12 News interview, suggesting that the realities of existing resources bolster the city's candidacy for the Blue Zone certification.

The program's methodical approach isn't limited to encouraging physical activities like pickleball games and group walks but extends to redefining local businesses and eateries, aligning them closer with Blue Zone philosophies, in one walking "Moai," an Okinawa Japan term for a communal exercise group, a participant confided to Maureen Aldrich, marketing and engagement lead at Blue Zones Project Scottsdale, "she was in tears, and she told me, after today, it changed her life," portraying the profound impact such movements have on combating isolation, according to 12 News .

The expectation set by this initiative is not instant gratification but rather a steady evolution towards a sustainable healthy living environment; after four years, Scottsdale will undergo an evaluation to ascertain if it has met the requisites to become an established Blue Zone, this substantial timeframe reflects the commitment to lasting change and healthier society as envisaged by the program's proponents, quoted Todd LaPorte, CEO of HonorHealth, "improve the health and well-being of those we serve," as noted by HonorHealth .