Healthy Community Design
Healthy Community Design
The way our neighborhoods are designed and built has a profound impact on our health and well-being. Neighborhoods shape our access to resources, ability to forge meaningful connections, and expose us to conditions that support – or cause risk – to people’s wellbeing.
Municipal policies, programs, and projects play a critical role in promoting the principles of healthy community design. We have collected guidance, research, and other resources below to inspire and inform those who want to create healthier communities.
For more information on any of these resources please contact:
Barry Keppard
Public Health Director
[email protected].
Resources
Healthy Community Design Toolkit 2.0: This toolkit provides frameworks, evidence, and strategies for stakeholders interested in promoting healthy community design but unsure where to begin. This resource was developed by MAPC as part of the Mass in Motion program.
MAPC's Health Impact Assessments: Health Impact Assessments are a popular way evaluate the potential effects policies, plans, programs, or projects will have on the health of a community, neighborhood, or other population. Explore examples and resources from MAPCs work.
Community Health Assessments: In the Greater Boston region, many organizations required to perform CHAs, as well as those that work with the assessments, have started to recognize the overlap among the various organizations’ work. These same organizations, as well as others who see the value in the CHA process and outputs, are now considering possible opportunities to collaborate, reduce redundancies, and maximize impact.