Oral

Recently, the planning profession has rediscovered its public health roots and most health and planning professionals now understand that the way in which our physical development and policy decisions impact population health. In light of this growing awareness of the interrelationships between the built environment and public health, very few communities have determined how to effectively integrate the work of these distinct professions. This panel brings together planners, policy advisors, and public health experts to discuss how city planners and public health professionals from local governments are collaborating to incorporate public health principles and goals into the cornerstone documents of the profession–the comprehensive plan and the zoning code. This session will share how public health professionals can participate in local government comprehensive planning, zoning codes updates, and regional transportation and growth management planning processes. The panelists will discuss what we do and don’t know about the built environment and health outcomes and how local governments are changing their plans to reflect this new evidence. Topics to be discussed include: • A step-by-step process for how to put healthy planning into action, from building relationships and assessing existing conditions to creating and ultimately implementing policy language. Each step will include case studies from real communities who are working to make the healthy choice the easy choice through built environment policy change; • Using case studies, we will share new approaches to comprehensive plans and zoning codes (such as form based zoning codes) and their impact on health; • A review of emerging tools, data sources, and methods to use in health and planning policy analysis, including Health Impact Assessments, participatory planning processes, and health outcome specific action plans. • How San Diego County is implementing an innovative federal stimulus public health program, Communities Putting Prevention to Work through “healthy” community planning, active transportation, and safe routes to school; We will allow ample time for questions about city planning and a healthy discussion about how to move the “health and the built environment” field forward and collaboration opportunities.

Session Objectives: 1. Describe how public health professionals can support cities/counties to incorporate public health objectives into their comprehensive land use and transportation plans and zoning codes. 2. Compare and review emerging tools in the field of health and built environment. 3. Explain how the federal stimulus program Communities Putting Prevention To Work is being implemented in San Diego County, CA.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)