Welcome
| We have a new name! The Land Use and Health Program is now Planning for Healthy Places. As we have incorporated economic development and other built environment policy strategies into our practice, we needed a new name to reflect a broader approach to creating healthy communities. |
Land use policy offers a valuable set of tools to promote and enhance healthy communities. Local governments, private developers, and community groups can all work to create patterns of development that improve community health--by ensuring that farmers' markets and neighborhood grocery stores are supported, for instance, or by promoting sidewalks, parks and other environmental components that encourage physical activity.
Planning for Healthy Places at Public Health Law & Policy works to engage public health advocates in the land-use decision-making process throughout California. We develop tools for training advocates in the relationship between the built environment and public health, and provide technical assistance for creating and implementing land use policies that support healthier communities.
Contact us for more information, resources, or technical assistance or training inquiries.
Resource of the Month
New Study: Designed for Disease: The Link Between Local Food Environments and Obesity and Diabetes
This landmark study by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, PolicyLink and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research examines the relationship between the food available near where one lives and the likelihood of being obese or having diabetes. The report demonstrates that people who live near an abundance of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores compared to grocery stores and produce vendors have a significantly higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes regardless of individual or community income.
Illustrations by Janet Cleland
© California Department of Health Services
