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PHLP Joins Amicus Curiae Brief to Preserve Public Health and Prevention

Feb 2, 2012

PHLP joined APHA, AAP, and others in filing an amicus curiae brief in support of the federal government's position on severability for mandates of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). We also have a new fact sheet on the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which summarizes data to make the case for why prevention is so important.  We believe that investing in healthy communities, where we can avoid chronic disease and injury over lifetimes, can repay initial costs through health savings.

Local Communities Identified as Food Deserts: PHLP Responds

Sep 22, 2011

When local news outlets were developing stories about Bay Area communities identified as 'food deserts' by the USDA, they came to PHLP for the full scoop. Hannah Burton Laurison spoke with the San Jose Mercury News and CBS San Francisco about the unique challenges of bringing full service grocery stores to rural communities, and how the USDA report overlooked the role that smaller grocers can play in balancing the needs of a neighborhood.

Greening Food Deserts

Jul 20, 2011

PHLP joined First Lady Michelle Obama and Partnership for a Healthier America for an important announcement about the committment of national grocery retailers to expand into areas where healthy, affordable access to food is not available. It's exciting to see big chains coming on board to help green food deserts, and we welcome them to the movement! We have many resources to help communities bring healthy food retail to underserved neighborhoods, such as Getting to Grocery, Funding Sources for Healthy Food Retail, and Healthy Corner Stores: The State of the Movement.

Designing Healthy Communities

Jul 7, 2011

PHLP Board member Dr. Richard Jackson will be hosting Designing Healthy Communities, a documentary series for PBS produced by Media Policy Center. The series is one component of a multimedia project that investigates how design of the built enviroment affects public health, and can be used as a tool in the fight against chronic diseases such as obesity and asthma. Communities that are featured range from large cities to smaller rural locales and include Detroit, Atlanta, Oakland, Roseto PA, Prairie Crossing IL, and Englewood CO. Broadcast is scheduled for early 2012, and the trailer is available to view online.

Public Health Improvements at Risk in CA Redevelopment Closure

Apr 1, 2011

California Governor Jerry Brown's proposal to eliminate redevelopment agencies as part of balancing the state budget has public health officials concerned about the future of healthy communities. As PHLP's Robert Ogilvie commented in a recent article in California Healthline, "We need to do all we can to keep those [redevelopment] tools available to build healthy communities."

March 17: New Ideas for Redevelopment in California

Mar 14, 2011

We convened in Sacramento on March 17 for a brown-bag panel discussion about Gov. Brown's proposal to eliminate redevelopment agencies in California. As PHLP's Robert Ogilvie wrote in HealthyCal.org, it's important to find ways of preserving some of the powerful tools redevelopment agencies currently hold, no matter what the future holds for these agencies across the state.

PHLP's Heather Wooten on Carrots and Sticks: Strategies for Healthier Food Systems

Jan 24, 2011

Colorado journalist Allen Best understands that changes to community food systems are increasingly necessary but take time to gain momentum. In his opinion piece, "Healthy Food Should be a Community Value," which was recently published in the The Aspen Times, he mentions the carrot and sticks strategies described by PHLP's Heather Wooten. With no single silver bullet solutions for the problems of obesity and access to healthy food, an approach that combines incentives and regulations is best suited to advance change across different community planning channels.

PHLP's Robert Ogilvie Speaks at Portland Plan's Inspiring Communities Series

Dec 1, 2010

Dr. Robert Ogilvie, Program Director for Planning for Healthy Places at Public Health Law & Policy (PHLP) presented "Designing and Building Cities So the Healthy Choice is the Easy Choice" at the opening session of the Portland Plan's Inspiring Communities Series on December 1. The series offers collaborative approaches to city policy-making and planning from national experts and local panelists, and highlights how different cities are tackling issues of economic development, community health, education and equity.

LA Community Adopts “Healthy” Vision to Guide Planning

Sep 28, 2010

The City of South Gate, a predominantly Latino community in the Los Angeles metro area, recently adopted a new general plan that includes a strong vision for promoting a healthier community. The Healthy Community Element  of the South Gate General Plan provides policy direction for improving health for South Gate residents by addressing the significant current rates of obesity, diabetes and poverty.

New Study Reveals Unequal Access to Healthy Food Resources in Silicon Valley

Sep 20, 2010

A new report commissioned by the Health Trust and the Clarence E. Heller Foundation and written by Public Health Law & Policy takes a first-of-its-kind look at access to specific healthy food resources in Santa Clara County: farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture, community gardens, and school gardens.