The Plan4Health program has provided an avenue for chapters of the American Public Health Association and the American Planning Association to fund and complete projects that improve the public health outcomes of the built environment.
"From a program promoting walking in Indianapolis, to efforts to stock Linn County, Iowa, food pantries with nutritious foods, more than a dozen coalitions across the U.S. are making public health a planning priority, thanks to APHA and the American Planning Association," according to an article for the August issue of The Nation's Health, the publication of the American Public Health Association.
The projects described above are examples of the Plan4Health program, "in which APHA-affiliated state and regional public health associations formed coalitions with state planning association chapters on community planning projects with a public health focus." Such coalitions have applied for grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "to address physical activity and nutrition…"
The article includes more examples of the program at work as well as soundbites from those leading the program and its resulting efforts. For more info, the program also has its own website.
FULL STORY: APHA partnering to promote public health, planning throughout US
APA Awards Funding to Local Projects Combating Chronic Disease
$2.25 million in funding exemplifies the broadening focus of the American Planning Association on public health outcomes at the local level.
How Planners Are Helping Build Healthy Food Infrastructure in Boise
The Idaho Plan4Health Coalition is exemplifying the role of planning in improving public health outcomes connected to healthy food and nutrition.
Making Healthy Places
The editors of the book "Making Healthy Places," recently published in a second edition by Island Press, discuss the intersections of public health and planning, including key concepts such as green gentrification, health impact assessments, and AI.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.
New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.
Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.
Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions