Planning and Community Health Research Center

Outreach

Through a variety of institutional partnerships and outreach activities, APA increases awareness of health and planning issues.

Current Activities

National Health Impact Assessment Meeting

September 24-25, 2013 • Washington, D.C.

Registration for the second National Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Meeting is now open.

If you’re new to HIA, the idea is that the most urgent health issues — like obesity, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and injuries — are driven by the conditions in the places where we live and work. More and more policymakers and communities are finding HIA to be a useful tool to take health into account when making the decisions in other sectors. This conference is a chance to learn more about this fast-growing field.

Among others, the meeting will be helpful to decision makers from non-health agencies who might use or rely on the results of an HIA, including planners and others with an interest in learning more about HIAs.

The agenda will include tracks for policymakers and those new to HIA, as well as plenary and general sessions covering a wide range of topics of importance for the field. It will also offer a special, one-day summit tailored specifically to policymakers. Attendance is limited. Sign up early to ensure your spot.

Abstract and scholarship applications are also being accepted via the online registration system. Abstracts are due May 29, and scholarships are due June 12.

Register now

Food Interest Group

APA's Food Interest Group (FIG) is a coalition of APA members interested in or actively engaged in food system planning at the local, regional, state, or national level.

Healthy Communities Interest Group

APA's Healthy Communities Interest Group (HCIG) is a collation of APA members interested in creating healthier communities.

Planning Healthy Communities Forum

The Planning and Community Health Research Center recently developed and launched the Planning Healthy Communities Forum — an online public, social networking forum centered on planning and community health, which supports a growing network of planning, public health, transportation, parks and recreation, and food policy professionals interested in improving the built and natural environments to support health, equity and sustainability. Through blog, discussion forum, and chatting applications, forum participants interact, share information, and discuss important issues related to topics at the intersection of planning, public health, and sustainability.

YMCA of the USA Healthy Communities Roundtable

APA's Planning and Community Health Research Center provides information and guidance to YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) Healthy Communities Roundtable. The Roundtable — supported by Y-USA's Pioneering Healthier Communities cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — builds upon Y-USA's existing relationships with major national organizations and solidifies new alliances among additional national partners. The creation of the Roundtable seeks to inspire the creation, replication, and sustainability of healthy communities by leveraging the collective strength and expertise of national organizations offering policy and environmental change strategies and connecting far-reaching networks across the country.

Past Activities

Healthy Communities through Collaboration

In 2003, a partnership between APA and the National Association of County and City Health Officials began to restore the bridge between land-use planning, community design, and public health practice.