The city of Ramsey, Minnesota, in collaboration with Design for Health and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, conducted an HIA on the potential health effects of the city’s comprehensive plan update to identify what progress has been made on key health indicators and opportunities for further improvement. The HIA found that Ramsey provides a relatively healthy environment but that continued planning and implementation are necessary to address accessibility, protection of surface waters, access to healthy foods, and the promotion and support of physical activity. The HIA made several recommendations, including adding a local stop on the Northstar Commuter Rail Line to improve accessibility; identifying and reserving locations suitable for grocery store development to improve access to fresh fruits and vegetables for at least 50 percent of city residences; and implementing the Master Trail Plan to provide parks and trails for at least half of all residents.
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This Health Impact Assessment Report first appeared in The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health. The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health was originally developed by the Health Impact Project, formerly a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts. The creation of this resource was supported by a grant from the Health Impact Project. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Pew Charitable Trusts, or the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
