Planning and Community Health Research CenterOutreachThrough a variety of institutional partnerships and outreach activities, APA increases awareness of health and planning issues. Current ActivitiesFood Interest GroupAPA'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 GroupAPA's Healthy Communities Interest Group (HCIG) is a collation of APA members interested in creating healthier communities. ICLEI Star Community Index, Health & SafetyThe manager of APA's Planning and Community Health Research Center serves as the vice-chair of the STAR Community Index Health & Safety Technical Advisory Committee. The STAR Community Index is a national, consensus-based framework for gauging the sustainability and livability of U.S. cities and counties. STAR will be launched by 2010, and is currently being developed through a partnership between ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the Center for American Progress (CAP). Eight STAR Technical Advisory Committees (TACS) were formed around critical issue areas to develop the indicators and metrics that this benchmarking tool will use. The goal of the Health and Safety Technical Advisory Committee is to develop a set of indicators and metrics to help local governments support, enhance and improve the health and safety of its natural, physical and social environments where all people — current and future generations — have the opportunity to achieve a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and develop to their fullest potential. Planning Healthy Communities ForumThe 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 RoundtableAPA'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 ActivitiesHealthy Communities through CollaborationIn 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. |
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