251540 Planning for healthy places: The state of the field

Monday, October 31, 2011: 2:30 PM

Lisa Chen, MPH, MCP , Planning for Healthy Places, Public Health Law & Policy, Oakland, CA
In the last five years, “planning for healthy places” has matured from a novel, little-considered topic to one that is increasingly discussed at public health and planning conferences. Early efforts to bring these two fields together and case studies are also beginning to yield best practices. This session will review the results of two studies of the inclusion of health in comprehensive plans (one national, one California-specific) and will discuss the following key questions: 1) where have the greatest inroads been made in terms of both awareness and actual policymaking related to the built environment and health, 2) where are there gaps in healthy planning practice (either in health issues or built environment policy tools), and 3) what key steps should public health practitioners take to both build on existing successes and grow into new built environment policy work?

Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Environmental health sciences
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1) Describe the current “state of the field” of planning healthy communities. 2) Identify areas where public health and planning are making strong inroads, and those where additional capacity building and relationships may be needed.

Keywords: Policy/Policy Development, Community Planning

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I provide technical support to communities engaged in healthy planning, create toolkits, and provide trainings to support the growth of this field.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Building health into our social and physical environment: Influencing choice, behavior, and health outcomes
See more of: Environment