Richmond Will Address Public Health in Future Land Use Planning.

The California Endowment Provides Funding for Breakthrough Health Analysis

RICHMOND, Calif. -- In a breakthrough concept that could improve the health of people in urban environments statewide, The California Endowment has provided a $255,000 grant to include Public Health in a new General Plan for the City of Richmond, California a the first plan in the State to include this element. The award will be administered by PolicyLink, a nonprofit organization based in Oakland, California, specializing in social equity issues and strategies to improve community health. The project will be led by MIG, Inc., the land use planning firm for the City of Richmond's General Plan Update, in consultation with Contra Costa Health Services.

"Everything a city does has human health implications; health should be a cornerstone of a General Plan. In Richmond, we have an opportunity to fundamentally change the way cities plan for the future a and show the link between our physical environment and public health," said Daniel Iacofano, Ph.D., principal of MIG and lead urban planner for the project. "Where you live, work, play, and go to school has a fundamental effect on your health."

MIG is working with Richmond to craft its new General Plan, which will provide policy and planning guidance for the physical development of the City. "General Plans address key factors for a well-functioning city," explained Richard Mitchell, Director of Planning for Richmond. "This is the community's opportunity to decide where and how it should grow and change. Under this new element, the City can work with industry to develop new standards for cleanliness by encouraging operators to apply the most advanced technologies to eliminate health impacts. We can also address types of housing to be built in specific neighborhoods, and where to place green space, playgrounds and transportation hubs. Including Public Health as a General Plan element will ensure that all major decisions about development, traffic, housing, and open space also consider the health of Richmond residents," Mitchell said.

The California Endowment grant will fund a health impact assessment of existing land use policies, proposed new goals and policies related to public health, and community outreach. "It is essential we change our approach to city planning," said Robert K. Ross, M.D., president and CEO of The California Endowment. "The inclusion of a health policy component in the process represents a significant opportunity for Richmond to address the root causes of some of the city's most persistent health problems, including obesity, diabetes and asthma."

Health factors to be analyzed in Richmond include nutrition, bicycle and pedestrian safety, physical health and wellness, hazardous materials and contamination, air and water quality, homelessness, and crime and violence. Research will use state-of-the-art Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques to map health issues and opportunities for improvement throughout the city.

Iacofano pointed to a few examples of the benefit of linking land use and health policies:

* Designing unique traffic calming features and increasing the city's "walkability" by adding pedestrian and bike paths that encourage people to walk rather than drive

* Fostering local stores that offer healthy, nutritious food rather than junk food 

* Promoting neighborhood-serving businesses

* Creating transit hubs and ensuring close access to transit

* Including "defensible space" urban design concepts to activate city streets and reduce crime

* Working with industry to reduce pollutants that trigger asthma

* Adding parks, open space and greenery in neighborhoods

"The new policies we implement in Richmond will have real, lasting benefits for residents. And what we discover and implement in Richmond can lead the way for other cities to include Public Health in their future land use planning," Iacofano said.

MIG and Richmond have been conducting community meetings in neighborhoods throughout the City, and sent the Richmond PlanVan a a mobile general plan outreach van a to community events and popular neighborhood spots to gain input about future directions from residents and businesses. More information is available at www.cityofrichmondgeneralplan.org.

The California Endowment funds projects that expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities and promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. MIG is a Berkeley-based multi-disciplinary land use and design planning firm that assists cities, counties and public agencies statewide engage communities and decision makers in community-based collaborative planning, policy and design projects. PolicyLink is a national research and action institute that works to develop and implement policies to achieve economic and social equity. Victor Rubin, MCP, Ph.D., PolicyLink Director of Research, will lead the PolicyLink team. "The innovations in analysis, public participation and policies developed in Richmond will provide valuable lessons for communities across California," Rubin said.

Richmond's Public Health project team also includes internationally recognized experts in the public health field: Dr. Rajiv Bhatia, Director of Occupational and Environmental Health, San Francisco Department of Public Health, and Research Director for the nonprofit Human Impact Partners; Dr. Wendel Brunner, Public Health Director, Contra Costa Health Services; Dr. Richard Jackson, UC Berkeley School of Public Health; Dr. Richard Kreutzer, Branch Chief, Environmental Health Investigations Branch, California Department of Health Services; and Tom Kelly, Chair of the Berkeley Community Health Commission and representing the Sequoia Foundation, the nonprofit public health research collaborative that originally developed the concept for the project with MIG.