Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116668

Roger Valdez, MA, Public Health-Seattle and King County, Tobacco Prevention Program, 999 3rd Ave., Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98104, (206) 296-7613, roger.valdez@metrokc.gov

A study completed by the Group Health Community Foundation at the request of Public Health Seattle King County found that developers and planners were enthusiastic about the concept of offering incentives (i.e. allowing structures to be built higher, decreasing parking requirements) for public health amenities (i.e.smoke-free buildings).

As follow-up to this study Public Health and the University of Washington's Urban Design and Planning school led a policy-oriented charette at the University of Washington. The charette brought together key stakeholders to brainstorm solutions and strategies for the incentive exchange program. The group focused on ways to successfully implement such a program.

According to the study, the incentives that were most compelling to developers were 1) allowing increases in density, 2) flexibility in parking arrangements, and 3) streamlining the permit process.

As one respondent stated, "Developers are risk adverse, not trendy. If the trend is that people don't smoke, I'd say, ‘Give me two more floors and I'll make my building smoke free.'"

Educational Experience: The focus will be a presentation of the results of the charette including visuals of the sites that were worked on as well as a discussion of potential model policies and the benefits and drawbacks of these kinds of incentive based policy projects.

Benefits:Attendees will come away with better knowledge of how we can work with developers and use the built environment to limit exposure to second hand smoke and promote policy and behavior change.

See: http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2004/11/01/focus4.html

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Understand issues that are important to real estate developers and property managers
• 2.Begin to develop strategies to influence policy to encourage the development of smoke free buildings
• 3.Understand the importance of incentives as part of making the built environment healthy and smoke free

Keywords: Tobacco Policy, Patient Perspective

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.