Health for Oakland, Its People and Environment (HOPE) Collaborative's participatory action research and planning process

The HOPE Collaborative (Health for Oakland, Its People and Environment) is one of nine W.K. Kellogg Foundation projects with the goal of creating systemic change Oakland's food and physical activity environments. During the initial planning phase, the HOPE Collaborative is building grass-roots driven and participatory research process engaging Oakland residents (especially youth), HOPE staff, consultants and volunteers from Oakland's extensive, diverse network of community-based organizations. The participatory research process involves HOPE action teams conducting baseline assessments: documentation of food stores, available food and food prices; businesses, business ownership and residence of business owners inside or outside of the zone; playgrounds and school yards; empty lots; condition of streets, sidewalks and walking paths; neighborhood-based organizations; churches and other relevant data gathered from focus groups and community listening sessions. This comprehensive dataset aim to describe the present state of the micro-zones/neighborhoods and serve as the basis for developing planning options that will create systemic change over the eight-year implementation phase of the project. Planning options emerge using a methodology analogous to building grounded theory from ethnographic data. This presentation will showcase results from the micro-zone analysis, describe our conclusions, planning recommendations and share lessons learned from this participatory research approach. The challenge for the implementation phase is to create interventions that successfully address the structural inequities that limit access to healthy local food, safe and attractive public spaces, full participation in the local economy; and unlimited opportunity to families and youth—in short to health for Oakland, its people and environment.