Incorporating Healthy People 2020 Policies into the General Plan

The City of Delano, population 53,000, is a culturally diverse city located in the Southern San Joaquin Valley of California. The City is 70 percent Hispanic. Employment is predominately agriculture. The City faces many challenges that have adverse health consequences: An unemployment rate of 34 percent, Median Family Income is only 55 percent of the US Median, Over 50 percent of our youth are overweight, Over 55 percent of persons over 18 have less than a high school education. These factors are linked to the Health Determinates identified by the US Health and Human Services in Healthy People 2020. In addressing these challenges, the City of Delano believes that there is a close correlation between the quality of the Built Environment and Public Health. As a result, the City initiated an update to its General Plan to develop a Healthy Delano and Wellness Element. This Element incorporates policies to implement Healthy People 2020, thereby changing the DNA of the City to improve public health outcomes An important focus of the element is to support active living and access to fresh foods. Extensive community outreach has been conducted including PhotoVoice, Street Faires, charrettes, and other community events to learn and incorporate residents ideas into the Element.