Bringing Health to the Planning Table
Posted: November 3, 2009
Categories: Food in the News / News from Sustain Ontario
Bringing Health to the Planning Table
– A Profile of Promising Practices in Canada and Abroad
Prepared for the Healthy Living Issue Group of the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/2009/be-eb/index-eng.php#summary
There is ample evidence proving that declining physical activity levels, together with limited access to healthy food, contribute to the rising incidence of chronic disease in Canada. A key determining factor to promote physical activity and prevent obesity is the built environment – that is, the buildings, parks, schools, road systems, and other infrastructure that we encounter in our daily lives. Urban planning decisions can advance or hamper health goals. However, as with any complex issue, progress will require inter-sectoral action. This means that planners and health officials need to work together to strengthen the health promoting features of land use and community planning.
This report profiles case studies of 13 Canadian communities where collaborative approaches to improve health outcomes have been a key consideration in planning decisions related to the built environment. This focus was chosen so that the successes (and lessons learned) of a variety of different projects could be shared with other communities. With one case study from each province and territory, it provides a pan-Canadian perspective. Two international examples highlight similar work happening abroad.