Non-traditional Partnerships to Create Healthy Communities

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• Learn techniques for planners to engage with non-traditional partners to support healthy communities.
• Understand possible outcomes of public health interventions that include urban planners partnering with public health professionals.
• Apply new strategies to involve the public in promoting policy, systems, and environmental change that supports healthy communities.

MORE SESSION DETAILS

Partnerships between planners, public health professionals, and coalitions that promote sound urban planning and design are becoming essential in effective public health promotion and education. This session will provide innovative ideas to create successful partnerships between these groups. In the last four years, the presenting team has facilitated more than 40 community workshops and numerous other group presentations that promote active living as a public-health intervention. Learn how these partnerships are initiated and fostered to create sustainable long-term relationships that lead to documented changes to policies, systems, and the built environment, supporting better health outcomes. Case studies of promotional programs and evaluation tools will be presented, with an explanation of the documented outcomes of these partnerships. Speakers will present examples of educational and technical assistance programs that use planning and design processes combined with public-health approaches to improve opportunities for active living. Presenters will also explain how to identify and involve community decision-makers as part of the education and promotional programs to garner better program implementation. Leave with a step-by-step approach to establish, evaluate, and monitor long-term relationships with communities to foster lasting change to policies, systems, and the built environment.