The Clark County Community Planning Department in Vancouver, Washington, developed a Sub-Area Plan to revitalize Highway 99 and surrounding neighborhoods. Clark County Public Health conducted an HIA, which was included in the plan. The HIA explored the plan’s potential effects on several health issues, including access to healthy foods, opportunities for physical activity, reliance on motor vehicles, and the five leading causes of death in Washington: cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and accidental injury.
The HIA recommended prioritizing affordable housing; enacting a living wage ordinance; developing centralized mixed-use districts (areas offering housing, commercial services, and recreational opportunities); implementing strategies to address pedestrian and bicycle safety, air pollution, and noise; and increasing healthy food outlets, access to parks and green space, traffic calming measures, and strategies to decrease crime and improve community safety.
Outcome
The revitalization plan was adopted in December 2008. Policymakers embraced some of the recommendations, such as promoting areas of development that would include services and stores close to neighborhoods. As a result of the HIA, the Clark County Board of Commissioners and Board of Health have begun to embrace a planning model that incorporates broader health considerations, inviting the health department to participate early in the planning of new projects.
–
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.
