Alliance for Healthy Community Design

Beginnings

The Alliance for Healthy Community Design (AHCD) is a partnership of professionals in the areas of public health, urban design and education who are focused on designing the physical environment to encourage healthy physical activity and foster social interaction of residents.

AHCD was created by St. Luke's Health Initiatives in 2004 as the Healthy Communities Initiative. Its management was transferred in 2006 from SLHI to the Project for Livable Communities, at which time the group was renamed to better reflect its direction.

The target populations, or stakeholders, of AHCD include public health professionals and urban design professionals, and educators in those arenas; municipal, county and state groups involved in community design; and the public.

Mission

The lack of communication, coordination and information regarding health issues relating to urban design is being addressed by AHCD. The group serves as a central clearinghouse for information on healthy community design that will foster healthy physical activities.

AHCD is raising public awareness of the health issues relating to urban form by establishing a state-wide effort to help create more healthy communities through the planning and development process. This is being accomplished by utilizing several tools of communication, including both electronic and more traditional methods.  

Focus

AHCD is looking at how the design of the physical environment has impacted community health – specifically an epidemic of obesity and diabetes. Urban designers, public health professionals, educators and community groups have come together to respond to this critical health issue in Arizona and determine the role that public health professionals and urban designers can play in reshaping development to help create healthy communities.

Goals

• Identifying successful healthy community design projects between the public health community and the planning community
• Establishing a speaker's bureau
• Serving as liaison between professional groups in the public health and planning sectors
• Coordinating and planning AHCD meetings
• Hosting workshops
• Providing consultation to public health professionals on interacting with planners, planning groups, city councils, boards of supervisors and the media.

First Project

AHCD is drafting a set of "Healthy Design Guidelines," which can be used by professionals in both the public health and urban design arenas. The guidelines will also be of assistance to neighborhood associations.

Steering Team

AHCD's Steering Team members represent a cross section of public health and urban design professionals. They include:

Carlos Balsas, PhD, AICP
Assistant Professor
School of Planning, College of Design
Arizona State University

Dean Brennan, AICP
Principal Planner, Special Projects
Department of Planning
City of Phoenix

Al Brown, MPA
Associate Research Professional Director, Environmental Research Initiatives
Department of Technology Management
Polytechnic campus
Arizona State University

Anna David
Program Manager, Physical Activity Programs
Maricopa Department of Public Health
Office of Health Promotion and Education

Eric Day, MBA
Physical Activity Coordinator
Nutrition and Physical Activity Program
Arizona Department of Health Services

Maureen DeCindis
Transportation Planner II
Maricopa Association of Governments

Timothy Flood, MD
Bureau Medical Director
Bureau of Public Health Statistics
Arizona Department of Health Services

Jill Kusy, AICP
Director of Entitlements
DMB Associates, Inc.

Matthew Holm, AICP
Principal Planner
Planning and Development Department
Maricopa County

Jane Pearson, RN, BSN
Associate Director, Programs
St. Luke's Health Initiatives

Carol Vack
Local Health Liaison
Arizona Department of Health Services

<top>