Planning for Health Toolkit

Take me to the toolkit: Healthy Transportation, Healthy Economy, Healthy Schools, Healthy Food System, Healthy Housing, Community Engagement

Purpose of Toolkit

The Planning for Health Toolkit is to support local planning or policy processes interested in identifying and implementing opportunities to advance equitable policies that improve community health.

How to Use the Toolkit

It can be used as a checklist of possible considerations during plan preparation and to inspire planners to devise alternatives that are pertinent to local health conditions and needs. However, the model practices included here may not be appropriate for all jurisdictions. Reference to model practices are provided so planners, based on their own analysis and good judgement, can arrive at a final set of recommended practices for any given process.

Background

Where we live, work, play, and go to school profoundly shape our health. People who live in neighborhoods or places that make the healthy choice the easy choice live longer, healthier lives. Place-based primary prevention focuses on creating healthy places that reduce the chances of people becoming sick. Local planning plays an essential role in guiding and regulating urban development. Furthermore, adopted plans have wide-ranging powers to influence the health and well-being at the population level by shaping the physical environment through transportation systems, community design, economic and housing development.