The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County, in conjunction with the Hillsborough County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation and Partners in Obesity Prevention, conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of policy and programming changes that would allow businesses to provide free outdoor fitness classes in five parks and recreation centers in the Town […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 (EPA) contracted with Human Impact Partners to develop the scope for a health impact assessment (HIA) of proposed expansion projects for the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California. The process included public meetings to bring stakeholders together for input. The EPA hoped to use the scoping […]

This HIA, carried out by Bernalillo County Place Matters Team, evaluated the health impacts of the county Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Action Plan. The HIA focused on the plan’s potential impact to pedestrian and bicycle accessibility and safety along Mountain View’s Second Street. Several health determinants that could be affected by the plan were […]

Upstream Public Health conducted this health impact assessment (HIA) of proposed state legislation designed to reduce car use and ultimately meet greenhouse gas emission targets to help curb global warming. The proposed legislation would provide funds to Oregon’s six Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to design and implement vehicle miles traveled (VMT) plans using a variety […]

This health impact assessment (HIA) evaluated the potential academic, health, and economic impacts of subsidizing the costs of student bus passes in Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles County School Attendance Task Force (SATF) was interested in developing a program to further subsidize the cost of bus passes for low-income students in order to increase […]

Human Impact Partners, together with WISDOM and EX-Prisoners Organizing, conducted an HIA on the health impacts of Wisconsin’s revocation system on individuals and families. Revocation is re-incarceration for violating parole, probation, or extended supervision. It often does not result in a new criminal conviction. The HIA team reviewed literature and data from the Wisconsin Department […]

Located in the Houston metropolitan area, Pasadena is the second-largest city in Harris County, Texas, and is near two of the four largest refineries in the U.S. Pasadena’s Code of Ordinances states that the director of planning should coordinate the development of a city plan that covers multiple years. The HIA provided recommendations to the […]

This rapid health impact assessment (HIA), produced by a team of University of Washington graduate students, identifies potential health concerns and action items as the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) launches a multiyear effort designed to improve infrastructure in the area surrounding King Street Station in the Pioneer Square and Chinatown-International District neighborhoods. The King […]

Between 2011 and 2014, the Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division conducted three health impact assessments (HIAs) on elements of Portland Metro’s Climate Smart Communities planning project. The Portland metro regional government requested the HIAs to ensure that decision-makers had access to public health evidence and best practices as they shaped and approved a greenhouse […]

In partnership with the Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development District (SRPEDD) and Fall River Mass in Motion, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council conducted an HIA that examined the proposed Phase 2 of the Quequechan River Rail Trail (QRRT) project in the City of Fall River, Massachusetts. Phase 1 of the project was one mile […]

The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, IDEAS xLab, and the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky conducted an HIA to examine how implementing Project HEAL could affect health in the Smoketown neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky. Project HEAL is a community development model that uses arts and culture activities to increase civic engagement and drive […]

The first-ever HIA on a major metropolitan transportation and comprehensive growth plan will be led by the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD) at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture. Plan 2040—which is being conducted by the Atlanta Regional Commission, the local intergovernmental-coordination agency—integrates multiple aspects of regional planning, including transportation, […]

The Florida Department of Health in Lee County conducted an HIA of community-driven alternatives to the county’s neighborhood connectivity plan for the Tice historic community. The HIA investigated the potential health implications of community connectivity and access to green space and schools in the plan. The report concluded that the plan stood to benefit the […]

MetroPlan Orlando, in partnership with the University of Central Florida and the Winter Park Health Foundation, conducted the first transportation HIA in central Florida. The state Route 50 Bus Rapid Transit HIA analyzed the potential effects of implementing bus rapid transit along 22 miles of SR 50 on the physical, social, and emotional health of […]

Historically, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development policies have exposed people with a criminal history and their families to eviction and denial of housing. Human Impact Partners, in collaboration with the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, conducted an HIA that assessed the health and equity impacts of public housing screening policies that exclude […]

The U.S. Forest Service drafted an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal by Roca Honda Resources to develop and conduct underground uranium mining operations at Roca Honda Resources’ mining claims in the Mt. Taylor Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest. Stakeholders expressed the greatest concern over water and cultural issues during the scoping […]

Human Impact Partners, working closely with ISAIAH—a faith-based coalition of more than 100 congregations—conducted an HIA to assess the potential health effects of a legislative proposal to cap annual percentage rates (APR) on payday loans and increase reporting requirements. The bill is expected to be introduced in the Minnesota Legislature in 2016. The HIA considered […]

This HIA seeks to inform decisions around the construction of a new jail and juvenile transition center in Muskegon County Michigan. The HIA will focus on environmental and social determinants of health including environmental hazards based on site selection, access to services and quality of those services, and unemployment. The HIA will determine likely effects […]

This health impact assessment (HIA) addressed a Massachusetts-specific version of the federal Healthy Families Act. The pathways and health issues explored included: 1) the spread of communicable diseases, such as influenza and stomach flu through workers at restaurants, schools and nursing homes; 2) the income and stress-related impacts of loss of salary and employer retaliation […]

In 2008, the City of Baltimore, Maryland launched a multiyear effort to comprehensively revise the city’s zoning code, which had not been updated for forty years. In order to help ensure that the revision considered the role zoning can play in creating healthier communities, a group of researchers at Johns Hopkins collaborated with the city […]

Proctor Creek in the Atlanta metropolitan area has been placed on the impaired waters list because it does not meet state water quality standards for fecal coliform. The topography, prevalence of impervious surfaces in the watershed, and strains on the combined sewer system have contributed to pervasive flooding in the communities along Proctor Creek and […]

The University of Florida Department of Urban and Regional Planning, in partnership with the Florida Department of Health, conducted a rapid health impact assessment of proposed changes to built environment and transportation access in the Tower Triangle area of the city of Gainesville, in Alachua County, Florida. The HIA focused on how these proposed changes […]

A health impact assessment was completed for a master plan for the South Lincoln housing redevelopment owned by the Denver Housing Authority (DHA). EnviroHealth Consulting completed the HIA and subcontracted to MITHUN firm who was hired by DHA to complete the master plan. In the neighborhood, approximately 38% live in poverty, more than half of […]

Community Health Councils Inc., along with other members of the Los Angeles County Healthy Community Collaborative, conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of California Senate Bill 622 (S.B. 622), which would impose a penny-per-ounce tax on distributors of sugar-sweetened beverages manufactured in the state. All revenue (taxes, penalties, and interest) collected under S.B. 622 would […]

Through a grant to the San Francisco Study Center, the Ditching Dirty Diesel Collaborative conducted an HIA to inform development of long-range strategies for moving goods efficiently, reliably, and sustainably within, to, from, and through the county by road, rail, air, and water to be included in the final freight component of the Alameda County […]

The Gila County Division of Health and Emergency Management and Paramount Public Health Services conducted an HIA of a proposed trail along a portion of the Pinal Creek Basin in Globe, Arizona. The HIA explored potential health impacts associated with physical activity, community enrichment and civic pride, social cohesion, vehicle trips, public and personal safety, […]

The Red Dog Mine, in remote northwest Alaska, is the world’s largest producer of zinc. The company proposed an expansion of the mine. In evaluating this request, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that it would be necessary to do an environmental impact statement (EIS) to assess the impact of the proposed activities on […]

The U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) undertook an environmental impact statement (EIS) to inform federal offshore oil and gas plans for five years, spanning 2007-2012.  Areas in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off Alaska’s North Coast were among those being considered for oil and gas leasing. The North Slope Borough collaborated with the Alaska Inter-Tribal […]

This HIA is integrated into the Bureau of Land Management’s new integrated activity plan/environmental impact statement (IAP/EIS) that will guide the agency’s management of the region, including leasing and development of oil and gas resources. The HIA addresses a range of health considerations, including, for example, how future oil and gas exploration and development activities […]

This mental health impact assessment, or MHIA, focused on a proposal to update the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Policy Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest Records in Employment Decisions. Having undergone an update for the first time in over twenty years, one proposed change was to prohibit employers from asking about arrests as […]

The Vermont Department of Health conducted an HIA of a proposed sick leave policy that would provide paid health care time for every 30 hours worked. Employees could use this leave—up to 56 hours annually—to recover from an illness; seek preventive care; provide care for a family member; coordinate social or legal services; and receive […]

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute conducted an HIA to inform a decision on the status of the Wisconsin Transitional Jobs Program during the spring 2013 session that will shape the 2013-2015 biennial state budget. The HIA focused on the immediate health effects of changes in income related to employment, such as diet, alcohol […]

The proposal to build the Rock Prairie Dairy in the Town of Bradford, Wisconsin generated concerns regarding the potential negative health implications that may result from the creation of such a large animal operation. The community was also concerned that concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) regulations were insufficient with respect to public health and did […]

The Minnesota Department of Health conducted an HIA of the potential health effects of the small area plan for the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Duluth. The HIA analyzed how the plan could affect community health and offered recommendations to maximize potential benefits and reduce negative impacts, with a focus on four topics: land use and […]

This HIA looked at a Department of Transportation proposal to redesign a five-lane, federal highway that runs through the small town of Cuba, New Mexico. This rapid HIA, initiated by a community advocacy group, looked at the potential impacts of proposed highway improvements, such as better lighting and sidewalks, on community health, walkability, pedestrian safety, […]

This HIA determined the impacts of the proposed Baltimore-Washington Rail Intermodal Facility at CSX’s existing Mount Clare Yard in southwest Baltimore City. The facility would transfer freight cargo between trains and trucks, and operate twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. The facility poses potential health concerns that include air and noise pollution and […]

The Hood River County Health Department conducted an HIA to examine the health impacts of rezoning 30 acres of former orchards to allow recreational development. The Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District purchased the land in 2007. The land is zoned Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) and land use planning as well as potential health […]

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) and the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), conducted an HIA of three transit-oriented development projects—Mission Hill/Parcel 25, Bartlett Place/Nuestra Comunidad, and Madison Park/Tropical Foods—in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The HIA informed the projects’ development process and helped define the health metrics to […]

The Kings Ridge apartments have been traditionally plagued by crime, poverty and poor health. A new management company has purchased the property and developed a community renovation plan which is designed to improve the health, safety and quality of life of residents. This HIA examines the plan and progress, looking at its effects on indicators […]

The Denver Environmental Health Department is conducting a health impact assessment (HIA) of the neighborhood plans for two North Denver neighborhoods: Globeville and Elyria Swansea. The neighborhood plans are currently being updated through a community engagement process. The HIA will make recommendations for neighborhood planning changes that can positively impact health in these communities with […]

Researchers from Florida Gulf Coast University, in partnership with the Tice Historic Community Planning Panel, completed a rapid HIA of a road-widening project in a primarily low-income minority community in Lee County, Florida. In 2010 Lee County Department of Transportation completed the design plans for Ortiz Avenue. These design plans identified a four-lane, divided road […]

In 2012, Human Impact Partners worked with the Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN), the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA), and Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles (PSR-LA) to conduct a rapid HIA of the proposed construction of the 72,000 seat Farmers Field football stadium in downtown Los Angeles. The HIA included […]

The Special Project for Families Affected by Incarceration and the Louisville Department of Public Health and Wellness conducted an HIA to examine the impact of using a family responsibility statement during the sentencing of a parent or primary caregiver. In the Louisville metropolitan area, the growing and disparate impact of parental incarceration on children’s health […]

The U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) proposed to lease offshore areas in Alaska’s northern coastal region, and undertook an environmental impact statement (EIS) to inform their decision making on this proposal. The North Slope Borough, in collaboration with the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council (a nonprofit organization representing Alaska’s tribes), completed a rapid HIA of the draft […]

Mid-City Community Advocacy Network and its Youth Council worked with Human Impact Partners to conduct an HIA to examine health and equity implications of a skatepark proposal in City Heights, a neighborhood in San Diego. Obesity rates in City Heights are higher than those in San Diego County overall, and the neighborhood has an inadequate […]

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Housing Long Beach, and Human Impact Partners conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of the Housing Element of the City of Long Beach General Plan. This update is required every eight years by the State of California. The HIA focused on housing affordability, quality, and location. The HIA made […]

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC), conducted an HIA to inform the village of Vinton of the health impacts of proposed water and sanitation improvement projects. Vinton is a small border town with high levels of unemployment […]

Adams Park is a 68 acre greenspace in Omaha, Nebraska located right next to the Malcolm X birth site and two elementary schools.  The surrounding community is predominantly African American and experiences significant health disparities as well as diminished access to healthy, affordable food.  – This Health Impact Assessment Report first appeared in The Cross-Sector […]

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) conducted an HIA to inform decisions regarding a proposed biomass power plant that would burn poultry litter in Virginia.  The Shenandoah Valley in northwestern Virginia is among the nation’s largest producers of poultry. The litter produced by poultry farms is of particular concern because, when applied as fertilizer, the runoff can […]

Upstream Public Health, a public policy non-profit based in Portland, Oregon, conducted a novel health impact assessment (HIA) of proposed legislation in Oregon. Oregon House Bill (HB) 2800 would provide state funds to purchase locally-grown foods for schools, set up school teaching gardens, and conduct nutrition education. The lessons learned from this project could be […]

This HIA studied a proposed amendment to Ordinance 01-67, the Farmland Protection Program, which has operated for 10 years and resulted in the permanent protection of over 5,500 acres of farmland. The amendment would broaden annual investments to include small and organic farms producing fruits, vegetables, and meat, and is intended in part to increase […]

This HIA assessed a proposal by the City of Omaha to include a center turn lane on South 24th Street – the major corridor through Omaha’s Latino community. This type of change, which involves going from four lanes to three, is commonly called a road diet. The HIA considered the impacts on the top concerns for South […]

The Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability conducted an HIA to inform decisions about wastewater infrastructure in the Fresno County (California) General Plan Update and to evaluate wastewater infrastructure health effects in Riverside County. Densely populated neighborhoods in Fresno and Riverside counties lack access to municipal wastewater services and instead rely on septic systems or […]

This HIA provides decision makers with a review of potential positive and negative human health impacts related to the proposed Wishbone Hill Mine (WHM). The proposed project area is located in the Matanuska-Susitna valley near Sutton, Alaska. – This Health Impact Assessment Report first appeared in The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health. The Cross-Sector Toolkit for […]

The San Francisco Department of Public Health conducted an HIA to assess the impact of California Assembly Bill 889, which proposed extending labor protections including overtime compensation, meal and rest periods, and uninterrupted sleep periods with compensation to domestic workers. The HIA focused specifically on two provisions of the bill: amending California Workers’ Compensation legislation […]

IndyGo, the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation, proposed tripling existing bus service in the Greater Indianapolis area. The Indiana University Center for Health Policy, in collaboration with the county health department and the local metropolitan planning organization, developed a curriculum for a graduate level HIA course. In the first half of the course, students were exposed […]

This rapid health impact assessment (RHIA) evaluated the mental health effects of Massachusetts bill S. 900, which proposed to require that the state expunge criminal records for individuals who committed their offenses before the age of 21. Students in the healthy cities course in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute […]

This HIA informed revisions to the City of Minneapolis Above the Falls Master Plan, which will guide redevelopment of an industrial area along the upper Mississippi riverfront in Minneapolis. The Master Plan, being drafted by the City of Minneapolis Department of Community Planning & Economic Development, is intended to increase public access and use of […]

The Council on Crime and Justice conducted an HIA to inform the Minnesota State Legislature’s decision to reform state drug sentencing laws by providing evidence-based information about the potential health impacts on individuals, families, and communities. The findings and recommendations show that particular changes in the proposed legislation could yield positive (or negative) health outcomes […]

Once a vibrant commercial corridor, the communities along Claiborne Avenue in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans have suffered economic divestment since the 1960s. Because Claiborne is a major transportation and commercial artery, the corridor is slated for investment and redevelopment, and the Livable Claiborne Communities Initiative (LCC) would like to ensure that health […]

Clark County Public Health conducted a rapid HIA to examine the potential health impacts of Vancouver, Washington’s comprehensive plan revision. The HIA focused on two determinants of health: physical activity and access to healthy food. The HIA found that the proposed planning, policy and zoning changes will likely have positive impacts on the community by […]

The National Indian Justice Center conducted an HIA of a proposed utility-scale solar project that focused on potential health risks and benefits for neighboring Native American communities in the Mojave Desert. Key decision-makers included the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the California Energy Commission, the Department of Defense, and private developers. The renewable energy project […]

HIAs are mandated for new development projects in Prince George’s County, Maryland (County Bill CB-41-2011). This legislation builds health into policies, provides a tool to reduce the incidence of preventable diseases and injuries, and requests that the county Planning Board refer site plans at specific stages to the county Health Department for HIA review. The […]

The University of Texas, El Paso conducted an HIA focused on water infrastructure to help the city of Presidio, Texas, decide whether to extend its water system to the neighboring colonia* of Las Pampas, which lacks a treated water supply. Inadequate access to safe water puts people at greater risk of gastrointestinal illnesses such as […]

The HIA addressed a proposed residential and commercial development at the Jack London Gateway (JLG) in Oakland, California. The project included 55 units of low-income senior housing and an additional 14,000 feet of retail space in an underutilized parking lot of an existing shopping plaza. The site is close to several interstate freeways and to […]

The Kansas Health Institute conducted an HIA on the Kansas Agriculture Growth and Rural Investment Initiative, which was introduced during the state’s 2013 legislative session. The bill would remove operating restrictions for certain agribusinesses and amend the definitions of limited agriculture partnerships, family farm corporations, and other ownership structures. Though it received a hearing, the […]

East Harlem has lost more than 1,500 affordable housing units since 2011 and is projected to lose nearly 7,000 more over the next decade. The New York Academy of Medicine conducted a rapid health impact assessment to examine the potential health effects of the mandatory inclusionary housing policy outlined in New York City’s East Harlem […]

The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County conducted an HIA on the EPA Brownfields Area-Wide Plan, a proposal to redevelop various sites in Tampa’s University Area Community. The HIA investigated the potential health effects of the plan and whether they would disproportionately affect certain populations, such as racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with physical […]

This HIA examined the potential health impacts of a proposal to build a new 14-mile light-rail line in Baltimore. Some of the pathways explored included access to safe outdoor activities, construction issues and air quality. HIA practitioners examined asthma, chronic lower respiratory disease, social cohesion, obesity, physical activity, bicycle and pedestrian risks, mental health, and […]

The Public Health Law Center will conduct an HIA to examine the ways in which decisions about school location and building design can affect health to inform revisions to the Minnesota Department of Education’s school construction and siting guidelines. School design features important to health could include improvements to bike and pedestrian access that increase […]

This HIA looked at the impact of the Minnesota legislature’s decisions regarding the adoption of recommendations from a state education task force on addressing school integration and improving education outcomes for students of color. The purpose of the recommendations is to close the achievement gap among students, which means improving educational outcomes such as graduation […]

Legal Aid of Marin and Human Impact Partners conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of proposed changes to the Housing Code Enforcement Policy in three jurisdictions in California: unincorporated Marin County, Novato, and San Rafael. The HIA examined how common housing complaints such as water incursion, pests infestations, mold and dampness, electrical problems, and heating […]

Human Impact Partners, Advancement Project, and National People’s Action conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of Congress’ federal 2011 proposed Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) project to re-organize public housing funding and management structures. Using mixed research methods, the HIA assessed the impacts of RAD on: management, evictions, and resident organizing; housing affordability, stability, and quality; […]

Human Impact Partners conducted an HIA on the health implications of three different approaches to disciplining students in California schools: zero tolerance, positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), and restorative justice. It is hypothesized that zero tolerance policies (in which students are suspended or expelled for offenses) may not make schools safer and may actually […]

This health impact assessment (HIA) aims to identify human health impacts associated with the proposed ExxonMobil development of the Thomson Sand reservoir. The project site is located approximately 60 miles east of Deadhorse on the Beaufort Sea coast, 60 miles west of Kaktovik, and just west of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. The U.S. […]

The current Hawai‘i County Agriculture Development Plan (the Agriculture Plan) was commissioned by the Hawai‘i County Department of Research and Development in 2008 and approved by the Hawai‘i County Council in 2010. The purpose of the Agriculture Plan is to serve as a guide for county government, local advocacy groups, and local businesses to revitalize […]

Common Ground Health selected the Rochester (New York) Bike Share program for an HIA because it experienced rapid expansion during its first year (25 planned stations and 250 bikes became 46 stations and 340 bikes in Phase 1). The study examined the program’s effects on residents’ physical activity, social cohesion, economic well-being, and access to […]

Human Impact Partners, with the New Mexico Department of Health and the Partnership for a Healthy Torrance County, conducted an HIA of a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline in Torrance County, New Mexico. Kinder Morgan, the largest energy infrastructure company in North America, proposed 213 miles of 16-inch pipeline to carry CO2 from Apache County, Arizona, […]

In 2017, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors requested that the county Department of Public Health (DPH) assess the potential health equity implications of allowing licensed cannabis dispensaries to operate in unincorporated areas. DPH conducted an HIA to examine the potential health impacts of policy and regulatory decisions related to cannabis business locations and […]

The Mississippi State Department of Health, in partnership with stakeholders from the city of Natchez and Adams County, conducted an HIA to inform decisions about economic development, historic preservation, and revitalization. The HIA examined the Adams County Civil Rights Project (ACCRP)—one of several initiatives to increase the profile of African American heritage in Natchez and […]

New Mexico Voices for Children completed an HIA of a proposed tax on food in the state. In 2004, the New Mexico Legislature exempted food from the gross receipts tax, the state’s version of the sales tax. However, state legislators, under pressure from local governments facing declining revenue, are considering allowing localities to reinstate a […]

This Rapid Health Impact Assessment (RHIA) evaluated the potential health impacts on renters of Boston’s proposed Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance, which would require landlords to have a “just cause,” including any violation of the lease terms, before evicting tenants. A group of students in the Healthy Cities course in the Department of Urban Studies […]

The Vermont Department of Health, along with the city of Burlington, conducted an HIA to determine the potential health impacts of proposed development decisions in planBTV, a long-range plan for Burlington’s South End neighborhood. The HIA assessed potential effects of land use, transportation and recreation, and community services on chronic diseases and mental health, focusing […]

This HIA, conducted by the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD), informed the development of the San Francisco Bay Area’s Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), which will serve as a guide to transportation-related investments over the next 25 years. The assessment examined the equity impacts–or how the new Plan might affect different populations in different ways–of […]

EnviroHealth Consulting conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of the City Of Denver’s Community Planning and Development Department local area plan for the proposed Central Park Boulevard commuter rail station. The HIA study area is a one and a half mile radius around the station, which includes the residential areas of Northeast Park Hill, North […]

Conservation Voters New Mexico Education Fund (CVNMEF) conducted an HIA to examine how switching from diesel to electric school buses could affect the health of residents in Rio Arriba and McKinley counties, where air quality is particularly poor compared with the rest of the state. The HIA focused on addressing social and economic drivers of […]

Texas Southern University conducted an HIA to examine the health impacts of possible development patterns that could occur in the neighborhood near a planned station on a 30-mile, five-corridor light rail expansion. Transit-oriented development generally includes high-density housing and a mix of shopping choices near transit stops in order to encourage use of public transportation. […]

The 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to align nutrition standards for all foods and beverages sold in schools with the federal dietary guidelines. Healthy diets are linked to a number of children’s health outcomes, including maintaining a recommended weight, decreased risk of tooth decay and other chronic diseases, […]

Metro Council of greater Portland, Oregon, commissioned a health impact assessment to evaluate the potential health impacts and benefits of managing 200,000 tons per year of the Metro Region’s municipal solid waste through a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility versus a conventional landfill. In terms of impacts on environmental social determinants of health, such as air and […]

In 2012, construction crews broke ground on Middle Tennessee’s first transit-oriented development. The developer was interested in possibly including a school as part of the Transit-Oriented Development Master Plan. The Metropolitan Planning Organization was approached by the master site planner to provide information that would help the developer understand the economic and public health benefits […]

The Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development at the Georgia Institute of Technology, along with the Georgia Department of Public Health, conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of the redevelopment of McIntosh Homes, a public housing project in Albany, Georgia. The redevelopment plan for McIntosh Homes was developed by the Albany Housing Authority (AHA) […]

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas completed an HIA to inform decisions by the Nevada State Legislature on proposed modifications to the availability of full-day kindergarten and on allocating state funding to support full-day kindergarten in high-risk schools. The HIA highlighted connections between full-day kindergarten and academic success. In particular, the study found that black, […]

Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health, along with the Marion County Public Health Department and Indiana Minority Health Coalition, conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of a potential full-service grocery store development in the neighborhood locally known as the Meadows, a federally-designated food desert on the northeast side of Indianapolis, Indiana. Access to fresh […]

Between 2011 and 2014, the Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division conducted three health impact assessments (HIAs) on elements of Portland Metro’s Climate Smart Communities planning project. The Portland metro regional government requested the HIAs to ensure that decision-makers had access to public health evidence and best practices as they shaped and approved a greenhouse […]

In August 2011, the Town of Aberdeen in Moore County released the proposed Aberdeen Pedestrian Transportation Plan (APTP). The goals of the APTP are to create more walkable spaces, increase pedestrian connectivity, calm traffic patterns, and increase pedestrian safety (APTP, 2011). During the fall semester of 2011, the team collaborated with Melissa Watford of FirstHealth […]

Human Impact Partners conducted an HIA of California Proposition 47, The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, which appeared on the November 2014 state ballot. Proposition 47 would reclassify six nonserious, nonviolent offenses as misdemeanors; allow people incarcerated for those crimes to apply for lower sentences, release, and expungement; and redirect savings from a reduction in […]

The University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health, in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, conducted an HIA to assess the potential health effects of a proposed subway and other mass-transit alternatives through Los Angeles’ high-density, highly congested Wilshire Corridor, running from mid-town Los Angeles to the city of […]

Human Impact Partners, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Coalition Against Wage Theft, conducted an HIA of the proposed wage theft ordinance in Los Angeles. In 2014, the coalition proposed provisions for the ordinance that were accepted by the City Council and then reviewed by the Los Angeles city attorney. The proposed ordinance includes provisions […]

The City of Fitchburg, along with the Montachusett Opportunity Council, the Montachusett Regional Planning Council, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and Fun ‘n FITchburg, conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) that examined the City of Fitchburg’s proposals for the redevelopment of vacant lots around the city. The city considered several strategies for the lots, […]

The Louisiana Public Health Institute, in partnership with the Alliance for Affordable Energy, conducted an HIA of a proposed natural gas combustion turbine plant in the New Orleans East neighborhood. It would be built on the site of the Michoud Power Plant, a steam turbine facility that was decommissioned in June 2016. The health impact […]

Mendocino County is classified as a moratorium county under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Business and Professional Code 23817.5: the ratio of Type 20 off-sale beer and wine licenses exceeds one for every 2,500 inhabitants. Mendocino has 48 outlets per 10,000 residents compared to 21 outlets per 10,000 residents in California state-wide. This HIA, conducted by […]

The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, conducted a rapid HIA to inform the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed Title I regulations Section 200.21(c) regarding the content, procedures, and implementation of school-level needs assessments. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, local educational agencies (LEAs) are […]

The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa conducted an HIA to analyze and explain the importance of wild rice, or manoomin, to the health of the Ojibwe people in advance of a proposed revision to loosen water quality standards for wild rice cultivation in Minnesota. Hand-harvested manoomin is a staple for the Ojibwe […]

Human Impact Partners, in collaboration with East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice and Californians for Justice, conducted a rapid HIA to examine how the proposed Long Beach Downtown Plan would impact the health and employment of residents, particularly low-income and vulnerable populations. The Long Beach Downtown Plan is a 25-year plan to add approximately 5,000 […]

Working with colleagues from the Harvard School of Public Health and the Boston University School of Public Health, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of the two proposals of fare increases and service cuts aimed at closing the Boston T’s projected deficit of $161 million this year. Under Scenario […]

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA), in collaboration with The Ohio State University College of Public Health, conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) to inform decisions on a proposal to improve interagency coordination and streamline the current system for housing inspections on affordable housing units. At present, different inspections are conducted or required by local […]

The HIA addressed plans for The Crossings at 29th Street, a proposed 11.6-acre development in South Los Angeles providing more than 450 units of affordable housing, as well as retail and multipurpose space for community activities. The four-block area where The Crossings will be developed is currently being rezoned from industrial to residential and is […]

Health Resources in Action, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, will conduct a health impact assessment, or HIA, to inform the promulgation of regulations by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development that will guide the release of funding for community development corporations under the […]

The Douglas County Health Department conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of 40 vacant lots along a 3-mile stretch of Cole Creek in Omaha, Nebraska. The vacant lots were created as part of an erosion control and flood-buyout program. The HIA informed the City of Omaha Parks, Recreation, and Public Property Department how this vacant […]

At the request of the city of Baltimore and the University of Maryland, the Baltimore City Health Department conducted a rapid HIA to identify potential health equity issues associated with redevelopment of the Lexington Market area of the Downtown-Westside neighborhood. The redevelopment would feature mixed-income, mixed-use development and implement the Complete Streets approach to roadway […]

An HIA to assess potential health outcomes associated with introducing bus rapid transit to the 47th Street Trolley Station near Interstate 805 in San Diego. The assessment focused on several health determinants including transportation, housing, access to goods and services, and environmental quality. – This Health Impact Assessment Report first appeared in The Cross-Sector Toolkit […]

In 2016, a group of Massachusetts planners, public health professionals, and members of the American Planning Association partnered with Groundwork Lawrence on a health impact assessment (HIA) framework to measure the economic, social, and environmental impacts of planting street trees in the Arlington and South Common neighborhoods in Lawrence, Massachusetts, a city with a nearly […]

This health impact assessment examined the transit extension connecting South Phoenix, a disadvantaged neighborhood, to the existing light-rail line of the city. Valley Metro, a public transportation provider in the Phoenix area, is the key decision-maker and has supported previous HIA work in Arizona. The HIA addressed improved access to health care services for the […]

This HIA considered three alternative scenarios for proposed changes to a farmer’s market in Trenton, New Jersey. The scenarios under review by the market’s executive board included: 1) minor cosmetic changes, such as better lighting and new wiring; 2) a major remodel aimed at more effectively integrating the market into the surrounding community; and 3) […]

California Rural Legal Assistance Inc. conducted an HIA to examine the health impacts on indigenous Mexican residents of Kern County, California, of access to a trained interpreter during interactions with law enforcement. This HIA found that language barriers create significant challenges for indigenous Mexican residents of Kern County, California, particularly reducing residents’ likelihood of reporting […]

Graduate students at Georgia Tech worked with Healthy Savannah to prepare a rapid HIA on the potential health and social impacts of the proposed Tide to Town trail, a 30-mile walking trail in Savannah. The HIA focused on three themes: residential displacement from flooding; connectivity and physical activity; and the relationship between housing, jobs, and […]