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Built Environment and Health: The Role of One Health Unit ALPHA, Toronto February 2, 2007

Built Environment and Health: The Role of One Health Unit ALPHA, Toronto February 2, 2007 Presented by Kim Bergeron, Program Co-ordinator. Introduction. Purpose: To highlight the initiatives within the Chronic Disease & Injury Prevention Department at the HKPR District Health Unit.

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Built Environment and Health: The Role of One Health Unit ALPHA, Toronto February 2, 2007

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  1. Built Environment and Health: The Role of One Health Unit ALPHA, Toronto February 2, 2007 Presented by Kim Bergeron, Program Co-ordinator

  2. Introduction Purpose: To highlight the initiatives within the Chronic Disease & Injury Prevention Department at the HKPR District Health Unit. These initiatives work through community partnerships to create active living communities. They promote and support physical activity opportunities for residents through the built environment.

  3. HKPR’s Journey The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPR) has been working to reduce chronic disease by changing the environment. This is our story.

  4. OHHP-Taking Action for Healthy Living 36 programs comprised of 37 community partnerships. Collective voice working together to make a difference. The health unit is one partner. Promoting the healthy choice as the easy choice. Building Healthy Public Policy across Ontario Through Community Partnerships (2007) Ontario Heart Health Network

  5. The Evidence Says….. • Educate Government Officials. • Promote the benefits of walking and cycling. • Provide input on land use decisions. • Consult more with planning departments, developers and key stakeholders. • Develop effective partnerships and alliances with key stakeholders. • Advocate for mixed land use, accessibility, transportation plans, affordable and accessible housing, food sources close to home and change in public consciousness. • Develop a joint urban planning and public health framework. • Publish Canadian research on this topic and program successes, challenges and lessons learned in peer reviewed journals. (Bergeron, 2006)

  6. What a Health Unit Brings • Empirical and epidemiological expertise. • Expertise in human behavioural interventions. • Voice that consistently asks “Will this encourage or discourage healthy growth and behaviours?” “Government has an obligation to carefully consider the population’s health in it’s policies and that public health should have an important role in the development of policies about land use and the built environment” (Perdue et al., 2003, p.563).

  7. Issues to be Addressed Ensure that municipal officials and staff: • Who look after planning, transportation, economic development, parks and recreation, education, conservation, housing and public safety issues have information about the benefits of healthy active living communities. • Understand the impact that policy decisions related to environmental regulations, zoning, building and housing codes, and taxation have on the built and social environments. Work to secure affordable and accessible housing and transportation services in rural and urban areas.

  8. What is the HKPR District Health Unit doing to develop partnerships and tools for change?

  9. Working Together to Make a Difference Developing partnerships is key to success. Partnerships are developed with: Government Officials Municipal Staff Economic development services Business owners Universities Law enforcement Real Estate developers Education and Health professionals Non-government organizations Residents

  10. Putting Evidence into Practice: Working with Municipalities By: • Hosting community forums • Submitting deputations • Presentation to the Board of Health • Municipal Briefing Report Project • Physical Activity Assessment of Municipal Parks • Conducting community based research studies Moving Towards a Joint Planning and Public Health Framework

  11. Goals of a Joint Framework • Move towards mixed land use • Long term sustainability • Mass transportation and walking • Urban redevelopment • A viable, functioning public sector (Northridge & Sclar, 2003, p.119).

  12. Conducting a Research Study Designing Active Communities Together 2006/07 • To document how one municipality works to increase physical activity by their planning decisions. • To gather data from 80 residents living within this municipality to document how the built environment and the planning decisions have or have not enhanced physical activity behaviours within their subdivision. • To develop a checklist and policy recommendations outlining built environment features that encourage physical activity. • To share the results of this project with local, regional and provincial stakeholders. Partnership between Health Unit, Queen’s University and Municipality of Cobourg.

  13. Active Communities Charter Charter (n) A document issued by a sovereign, legislature, or other authority, creating a public or private corporation, such as a city, college, or bank, and defining its privileges and purposes. (American Heritage Dictionary,n.d.) Use as a collective philosophy and shared understanding. Outlines the principals and values to be modeled by of all physical activity programs.

  14. Haliburton: A Community In Action

  15. Networking and Sharing • Fireside Chat’s- University of Ottawa • Ontario Professional Planner’s Institute • Heart Health Resource Centre Symposium • Board of Health Presentation • Queen’s University • Government of Manitoba Diabetes & Chronic Disease Prevention Unit Conference • Participate in Walk21

  16. Social Determinants of Health Connection

  17. Earlier Work to Build Health Communities

  18. Closing Thoughts • Developing healthy communities is a joint responsibility. • Strengthen partnerships. Become more involved and encourage municipal staff. • Get involved in Municipal Planning. The earlier the health unit can be involved the better.

  19. Thank You!

  20. References Bergeron, K. (2006). Built environment and health: The role of community health professionals. CHNET-Works! Fireside Chat, University of Ottawa, Community Health Research Unit, June 16. Northridge, M. E. and Sclar, E. (2003). A joint urban planning and public health framework: contributions to heath impact assessment. American Journal of Public Health, Vol 93 (1), 118-121. Ontario Heart Health Network. (2007) Building Healthy Public Policy across Ontario Through Community Partnerships. Vol 1. Perdue, W.C., Gostin, L.O. & Stone, L.A. (2003). Public health and the built environment: historical, empirical, and theoretical foundations for an expanded role. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Vol 31, 557-566.

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