1. PLANNING FOR HEALTH
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Active Transportation
Maria Vyas, AICP | Julie Bjornstad, AICP

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Planning & the Planning Process
2. Integrating Health and Planning
3. Encouragement through Planning

3. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Planning & the Planning Process
2. Integrating Health and Planning
3. Encouragement through Planning

4. PLANNING PROCESS
• Planning departments: What do they do?
– Long Range Planning
– Plan Review
• Required by state law:
– Planning Commissions
– General Plan
• Transportation requirements

5. PLANNING PROCESS
• Planning and the Medical Community
– Typical involvement
– Your experience?

6. PLANNING PROCESS
• Active Transportation Elements
– Master plans
– Project implementation
– Support of transit projects
– Development policies

7. PLANNING PROCESS
• UDOH Handbook: Bridging the gap
– How-to guide to create plans
– Flow-chart type document
– Focused on process
– Stakeholder group included: PANO, UDOT, UTA,
WFRC
– Advocacy community outreach

8. PLANNING PROCESS
UDOH Handbook structure
Goals & Existing Project Project
Analysis Implement
Objectives Conditions Selection Prioritization

9. PLANNING PROCESS
• UDOH Handbook is…
– Geared to a range of communities
– Choose your own adventure
• Novice to experienced commuter

10. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Planning & the Planning Process
2. Integrating Health and Planning
3. Encouragement through Planning

11. HEALTH INTEGRATION
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental,
and social well-being, and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity.”
as defined by
the Preamble to the Constitution
of the World Health Organization
(WHO 1948)

12. HEALTH INTEGRATION
UDOH HANDBOOK

13. HEALTH INTEGRATION
• Inventory of existing conditions includes
public health information
– Safety and health data
– Obesity data
– Reaching out to ERs and hospitals
– IBIS, BRFSS, BRIS data

14. HEALTH INTEGRATION
• Inclusion of health professionals in public
involvement
– Stakeholder committees
– Walking/Biking audits

15. HEALTH INTEGRATION
• Health criteria in project selection
– Links to healthcare facilities
– Links to recreation sites

16. HEALTH INTEGRATION
• Improving public health benchmarks
– Reduced obesity rates
– Reduced rates of disease in target
populations
– Increase rates of self-reported physical
activity

17. HEALTH INTEGRATION
• Encouraging cities to apply for healthy
community awards
– Safe Routes to School awards
– Utah Healthy Community program

18. HEALTH INTEGRATION
OTHER TOOLS

19. HEALTH INTEGRATION
• Comprehensive Plans
– Plan Updates
– Corrective/Selective Amendments
– Revising Codes or Ordinances
– Separate Health-related Plans

20. HEALTH INTEGRATION
• Health Impact Assessments
– Tool to evaluate health-related impacts of
proposed project or policy
– Convenient vehicle for integrating health into
planning
Environmental
Social Impact
Impact
Analysis
Analysis
HIA

21. HEALTH INTEGRATION
• HIA Process:
1. Screening
2. Scoping
3. Risk Assessment
4. Dissemination
5. Monitoring and Evaluation

22. HEALTH INTEGRATION
• HIA Example – Atlanta Beltline:
– Vulnerable communities, health risks, and many
opportunities for health benefits
– Outcomes:
• Public health now formal part of planning
• $1 million EPA grant to speed development

23. HEALTH INTEGRATION
• Design for Health
– Set of tools focusing on issues where planning
has influence
– Clearly draws on research-based evidence
– Created the Health Impact Project
• www.healthimpactproject.org

24. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Planning & the Planning Process
2. Integrating Health and Planning
3. Encouragement through Planning

25. ENCOURAGEMENT
• How to use planning programs/policies to
encourage active transportation
• Planning for a range of users
• Encouragement/awareness techniques

26. ENCOURAGEMENT - EXAMPLES
• Safe Routes to School
• Bike Ambassadors
• Rodeos
• Bike to Work Week
• Marketing Campaigns

27. WHAT CAN I DO?
• Provide bike/ped resources to patients:
– Bike maps
– Safety/education brochures
• Sponsor rodeos and other education events
• Get involved with planning efforts!

28. DISCUSSION
What do planners need to
know about the health care
industry?