Project Manager & Author: Kim Perrotta Presenting to the CHNET-Works May 26, 2011

1. Public Health and Land Use Planning: How Ten Public Health Units are Working to Create Healthy and Sustainable Communities Project Manager & Author: Kim Perrotta Presenting to the CHNET-Works May 26, 2011

2. Partners & Contact Information • Ministry of Health Promotion & Sport – Healthy Communities Fund (funding) • Clean Air Partnership (CAP) – lead agency • Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) – partner through the Health & Built Environment Workgroup Contact Information: Clean Air Partnership (CAP) 75 Elizabeth Street Toronto, Ontario M5G 1P4 416-392-6672 www.cleanairpartnership.org Kim.perrotta@cogeco.ca 905-628-9437 http://www.cleanairpartnership.org/public_health_and_the_built_environment

3. Ten Public Health Units • North: • Sudbury & District Health Unit • Rural: • Grey Bruce Health Unit • HKPR District Health Unit • Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit • Urban/Rural Mix: • Niagara Region Public Health • Region of Waterloo Public Health • GTA: • York Region Public Health Branch • Peel Public Health • Halton Region Health Department • Toronto Public Health

4. Structure of Background Report • Overview – health & the built environment for six factors: • Physical activity • Injuries • Healthy Eating • Air Quality • Climate Change • Water Quality • Priority Population: Low Income Populations • Case Studies – 10 PHUs • Discussion • Interventions • Strategies • Program Areas & Expertise • Organization Structures • Recommendations

5. Interventions Being Sought Active & Alternative Transportation • Rural areas: • Paved shoulders between communities, trails, & connectivity • Physical Activity, Injury Prevention & Access • Small urban areas: • Urban design & infrastructure • Physical Activity, Injury Prevention & Access • Large Urban Areas • Development patterns, densities, design & infrastructure • Air Quality, Climate Change, Physical Activity, Injury Prevention & Access

6. Interventions Being SoughtIncrease Access to Healthy Foods • Official Plans , Secondary Plans & Site Plans: • Mobile farmers' markets • Community gardens • Green roofs • Equitable access to retailers selling fresh foods • Programs – Establishing mobile markets & community gardens • Community Food Security: • Research , policies & programs • Support preservation of local farm land

7. Interventions Being SoughtAddress Localized Air Quality Impacts • OP Policies: • Linking air quality to transit, active transportation, energy efficiency in official plans • air studies & cumulative air quality • Compatible land uses • Separation distances for highways • OP Implementation Guidelines: • Compatible land uses • Air Quality Impacts • Programs: • airshed modelling & monitoring

8. Interventions Being SoughtMitigating & Adapting to Climate Change • General OP Policies: Linking climate change to transit, active transportation & energy efficiency • Specific OP Policies: Adaptation to climate change: • Permeable surfaces • greenspace • Urban forestry • water efficiency • Programs: • Bring climate into municipal programs • Eg. Urban Forestry

9. Interventions Being SoughtProtecting Ground Water • Site plans & subdivision plans: Several PHUs review them for impact on ground water • CofAs, and EAs: Several review them for impact on ground water • Official Plan Policies: General policies to protect ground water. • Hydrogeological Guidelines referenced by one Regional OP: • Can request HG assessments from proponents • Can have them Peer Reviewed by a HG on retainer at proponent’s expense

10. Interventions & Low Income PopulationsChronic Disease & Injury Prevention • Active transportation & public transit: • More benefits for low income • Ensure populations are consulted & considered in master plans • Trails, parks & greenspace: • Access is more important for low income & less likely • Ensure equitable distribution • Healthy foods: • Access issues are greater & less likely • Target neighbourhoods for programs • Push for affordable housing

11. Interventions & Low Income PopulationsEnvironmental Health • Air Quality: • Low income populations more likely to live close to traffic corridors & emission sources • Address with cumulative air quality impact assessments • Address with separation distances for traffic corridors • Climate Change: • Extreme heat is harder on low income groups • Targeted adaptation programs e.g. trees and cooling centres

12. Strategies Employed by Public Health Units • Health Promotion & Community Engagement • walkON workshops & walking surveys • Air and climate ads in theatres • Cultivating Community Partnerships • Commenting on planning documents • Developing Active Transportation Plans • Community Gardens projects • Developing Relationships with Planning • Conferences & PPS comments • Integrated Planning Departments • Placements with Municipalities/Planning • Participating in Official Plan Processes

13. Strategies Employed by Public Health Units • Research & Policy Development • Literature Reviews • Policy papers – walkability criteria, compatible land uses for air quality • Geospatial analyses for heat, air quality, income status, health status • Developing tools that can assess health impacts associated with land use planning decisions • Commenting on Planning Documents • Regional & local official plans • Secondary Plans, Subdivision Plans & Site Plans, Master Plans • CofAs & EAs

14. Program Areas, Functional Expertise & Roles • Programs: CDIP & Environmental Health • Functional Expertise: • Assessment and surveillance • Health promotion and policy development • Disease and injury prevention • Health protection • Creating Specialized Positions • CDIP – Policy & Planning expertise • EH – Policy, Air Quality, Toxicology, Water Quality expertise • Hiring expertise in some cases • Contracting expertise in others

15. Organizational Structures - Built Environment • Restructuring Internally • Ontario Public Health Standards • Social indicators • Multi-Disciplinary Teams • Geographical or Built Environment teams • Informal Relationships • Team leads for different Programs • Program Planning • Working through Committees • Coordination & collaboration • Identifying a Point Person • Healthy Public Policy Directorate

16. Thank-you http://www.cleanairpartnership.org/public_health_and_the_built_environment