An inter-sectorial approach to eliminating health disparities through transformations in the built environment: The south la new community plans

Confronted by South Los Angeles's prolific health disparities, which have been exacerbated by perpetual public and private sector divestment, Community Health Councils (CHC), a non-profit community-based organization in South Los Angeles (South LA), worked with the African-Americans Building a Legacy of Health (AABLH) Consortium and the Los Angeles City Planning Department to more effectively incorporate public health into the scope of development and land-use planning in South LA. Through the use of CHC's Model for Social Change and the development of unique and strategic inter-sectorial partnerships, CHC has contributed to making the once-neglected community of South LA an incubator for innovative and progressive health-related land-use policies. Strategies for mobilizing the South LA community leaders and resident to support the innovations include: increasing the land-use literacy of South LA residents through community-based participatory research, establishing unlikely partnerships and mutually beneficial informational exchanges between AABLH coalition members and City Planning, and empowering previously disengaged stakeholders to effectively participate in the land-use policy development and advocacy process. As a result of these efforts, health and sustainability have been incorporated into the new vision for development in 3 South LA Community Plans. Additionally, policies that incentivize new grocery store development, reduce fast food restaurant density in commercial corridors and around schools, promote healthy transit-oriented development, and support corner-market conversions have been integrated into local plans. Finally, through a CDC funded Community Transformation Grant, CHC and over 20 partner organizations are working to replicate these successes in 4 additional community plans throughout the City.