141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

281473
An inter-sectorial approach to eliminating health disparities through transformations in the built environment: The south la new community plans

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Mark Glassock, MPH , Community Health and Education, Community Health Councils, Los Angeles, CA
David C. Sloane, PhD , Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
LaVonna Lewis, PhD, MPH , Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Lark Galloway-Gilliam, MPA , Community Health Councils, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Gwendolyn Flynn , REACH US Project, Community Health Councils, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Breanna Morrison, MPL , Community Health and Education, Community Health Councils, Los Angeles, CA
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.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
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:
Formulate collaborative partnership between a myriad of departments to establish innovative land-use policy solutions aimed at overcoming health disparities. Identify strategies for public engagement through community-based participatory research and policy education. Create and sustain innovative long-range land-use policy initiatives through inter-sectorial partnerships.

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Public Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have led initiatives that have successfully influenced local land-use policies to better support the development of grocery stores, healthy restaurants, and increased access to healthy living resources for over 700,000 South LA residents. Moreover, I founded a Community Researcher Development and Training program that has equipped close to 100 South LA residents with the necessary research and advocacy skills to become agents for positive social change in their own communities.
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.