Healthy Planning
Land use, economic development, and redevelopment policies offer a valuable set of tools to promote and enhance healthy communities. Local governments, private developers, and community groups can all work to create patterns of development that improve community health–by ensuring that farmers' markets and neighborhood grocery stores are supported, for instance, or by promoting sidewalks, parks and other environmental components that encourage physical activity.
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Program News

Upcoming Events
September 13-15: Using Law, Policy, and Research to Improve the Public’s Health (Atlanta) The goals of this national conference, funded in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, are to (1) examine the role of law and policy in promoting, protecting, and improving global and domestic public health; and (2) help build effective partnerships to accomplish public health law and policy objectives.
September 21 11:00-12:00pm PST: The Art and Science of Evaluation: Sound Methods for Assessing Policy and Environmental Change. (Webinar) How do we know if our change strategies are working? Evaluation is a critical component of any effort that seeks long-term sustainable change. In this webinar, panelists will discuss key questions for measuring success in community environments.
October 16-19: Community Food Security Coalition Annual Conference (New Orleans). Session topics will include rebuilding local food economies, ending poverty and increasing food access, outcomes of the US Social Forum, environmental justice, public health links, food policy councils, urban agriculture, and more.
October 17-21: Making Cities Livable (Charleston, SC) hosts this conference on “True Urbanism: Planning Healthy and Child-Friendly Communities,” presenting evidence of health effects of the built environment, planning strategies, best practices, and experience in achieving healthy, livable, and sustainable cities.
November 6-10: American Public Health Association Annual Conference (Denver). Attendees will learn from experts in the field, hear about cutting-edge research, discover the latest public health products and services, and share their public health experience with their peers.
November 17-19: Greenbuild 2010 (Chicago). Thousands of building professionals from all over the world come together at Greenbuild for three days of educational sessions, speakers, green building tours, and networking events.
November 30: WIC Food Package Evaluation Symposium (Washington, DC). Save the date: Join us for a one-day gathering of researchers, policymakers, and program administrators to discuss WIC Food Package research, evaluations, and findings.
Feb. 3-5: 10th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference (Charlotte, NC). The program will include new research, implementation tools and techniques, best practices, model projects, policies and codes, coordinated networking activities, and interactive learning experiences.
April 3-5, 2011: Brownfields Conference (Philadelphia) is a national conference focused on environmental revitalization and economic redevelopment.