How to Create and Implement Healthy General Plans

How can public health advocates and city planners work together to create healthy, sustainable communities? This toolkit provides a progression of steps focused on the general plan, the key land use policy document for California cities and counties. The toolkit details a wide range of strategies, from building relationships and assessing existing conditions to creating and ultimately implementing policy language. Model health language is included to provide specific ideas for how to address health concerns through general plan policies.


How to Create and Implement Healthy General Plans
Introduction

Section I: Laying the Groundwork for Healthy Planning
Getting Started
Roles for Health Officers and Planners

Section II: Assessing Existing Health Conditions
Questions for a Baseline Community Health Assessment
Walkability and Bikeability Audits
Community Food Assessments

Section III: Writing a Healthy General Plan
The General Plan as a Tool for Change
A Separate Health Element?
Using Standards to Implement Health Goals

Section IV: Model Health Language

Section V: Implementation Plans, Programs, Policies, and Standards
Zoning, Neighborhood Plans, and Development Standards
Road Designs and Standards
Master Plans
Project Review
Taxes and Fees: Financing Healthy Infrastructure

Conclusion

Appendix: Fact Sheets - Research on Land Use and Health from Two Different Perspectives
The Health Perspective on Planning: Built Environments as Determinants of Health
The Planning Perspective on Health: Community Health as a Goal of Good Design