Dunbar Blue Zone
The last time anyone measured life expectancy in Dunbar, it was 9 years below the state average — and that was 2015. Nobody has measured it since. The current health data gives no reason to think it improved. We're applying the world's most proven longevity framework — the Blue Zones Power 9 — right here, right now.
What is a Blue Zone?
Blue Zones are the five places on earth where people live the longest, healthiest lives — Okinawa, Sardinia, Nicoya, Ikaria, and Loma Linda. Researcher Dan Buettner identified what they all have in common.
The answer wasn't gyms or supplements. It was the way they lived every day — how they moved, what they ate, who they spent time with, and what they believed in. He called these shared habits the Power 9.
We're not waiting to be designated a Blue Zone. We're building one ourselves — adapting every one of the Power 9 to the real conditions, resources, and community of Dunbar, Fort Myers.
Okinawa · Sardinia · Nicoya · Ikaria · Loma Linda — dramatically higher rates of people living past 90 and 100.
Nine lifestyle factors shared by every Blue Zone. None require a gym membership or a prescription.
Every Blue Zone eats mostly plants. Beans, greens, whole foods — the same things we grow in Dunbar.
Social ties, faith communities, and purpose matter as much to longevity as diet and exercise.
Nine habits. One neighbourhood.
Each one is grounded in what already exists in Dunbar and what we're actively building — through Rerooted Farm, the Jackie Mack Association, local churches, and the community itself.
Dunbar has a walkable grid but a Walk Score of ~35 — car-dependent, because there's nothing to walk to. Basketball and garden work supply movement now. Blue Zone goal: build destinations worth walking to.
Open to everyone — not just teachers or athletes. Growing your own food, feeding your family, being part of something bigger: that's purpose. The garden gives people a reason to show up.
20.4% of adults in this tract report frequent poor mental health. 48.3% sleep fewer than 7 hours a night. Sunday worship is already embedded in Dunbar — we're adding a monthly Walk & Wellness event as a free way to decompress and connect.
Honest, stat-backed portion framing — delivered through cooking classes, not lectures. Blue Zone communities eat until 80% full. We teach it through food.
Jackie Mack gardens opened to the whole community. New standalone Fruit Tree Initiative under Rerooted Farm. Beans, greens, and peppers — grown here, eaten here.
Named honestly with real local drinking stats. Paired with alcohol-free alternatives — herbal teas, farm-infused waters. The ritual of unwinding together matters more than what's in the glass.
Piloting with 6 churches near the farm — path to ~20 churches. Monthly church-hosted garden day + Walk & Wellness. Future: church garden beds as community growing sites.
Community volunteer corps — not just athletes — to support elders with gardens and connection. The Jackie Mack model extended to the broader elder community in Dunbar.
The whole Dunbar community acts as the tribe. The people around you shape your habits more than willpower alone. Build the right community and the healthy habits follow.
Why Dunbar. Why now.
What the current data shows
While no one has re-measured life expectancy in the tract, CDC PLACES tracks current health indicators at the census-tract level. For Tract 0006.00 as of 2023:
Every programme tied to a habit.
These aren't separate projects running in parallel. Each one maps directly to one or more of the Power 9 — because that's how a Blue Zone actually works.
Community raised garden beds — now open beyond retired teachers to the whole neighbourhood. Fruit Tree Initiative launching under Rerooted Farm.
Hands-on classes using farm-grown peppers and produce. Portion awareness built in. Small groups that become community connections.
A monthly community walk and social event — church-hosted, free, open to all. Dates coming soon.
Piloting with 6 churches near the farm. Monthly church-hosted garden days, using existing faith infrastructure as a longevity engine.
Two-day hands-on course teaching Fort Myers residents to grow their own food. 13 crops, all suited to the local season.
Community-wide volunteers supporting elders with gardens and social connection. The Jackie Mack model, scaled to the whole neighbourhood.
Greater Dunbar Initiative
The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers is investing $360 million into Dunbar — a new grocery store, a revitalised Farmer's Market, and senior housing. This is an ally, not a competitor. Their investment creates the infrastructure. Rerooted Farm builds the community habits that make it last.
A new grocery store changes what's available. The Blue Zone changes what people choose to do with it. Both are necessary. Neither is sufficient alone. We're actively pursuing a partnership — with the goal of being at the table when the Farmer's Market revitalises.
Monthly community garden days hosted through local churches. No experience needed. Show up, get your hands dirty, meet your neighbours.
Get NotifiedMonthly community walk — free, open to all ages. Movement as a social act, not a chore. Dates and locations coming soon.
Get NotifiedGet updates on events and how the Dunbar Blue Zone initiative is growing. Reach out directly to get involved.
Contact UsSources: CDC/NCHS U.S. Small-area Life Expectancy Estimates Project (USALEEP), 2010–2015 mortality data — the only tract-level life expectancy study ever conducted (Tract 0006.00, Lee County, FL: 71.4 years; Florida statewide: 80.1 years). USALEEP does not calculate a county-level estimate for this period. County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 2025 release, 2021–2023 mortality data (Lee County life expectancy: 80.6 years). CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, Census Tract Data, 2025 release (2023 BRFSS survey data) — Tract 0006.00: obesity 42.3%, diabetes 20.5%, physical inactivity 38.7%, uninsured 20.8%, poor mental health 20.4%, sleep <7 hrs 48.3%. U.S. Census Bureau ACS (household income, zip 33916 and Lee County). Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers, The Greater Dunbar Initiative. Walk Score. City- and neighborhood-level poverty data from public sources current as of September 2026.