Human Impact Partners, in collaboration with the Education from the Inside Out Coalition, conducted an HIA to inform the New York State Legislature’s consideration of S. 975/A. 2870 (2015), a bill that would repeal the ban on providing student financial aid awards for postsecondary education to incarcerated persons through the state’s Tuition Assistance Program. The […]

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 […]

Youth UpRising conducted an HIA to inform the Oakland school board’s planning and implementation of a secondary, specialized learning academy within a low-performing high school in East Oakland. Located in a community with high crime, violence, poverty, and unemployment, Castlemont High School faces disinvestment, decreased enrollment, and a dropout rate of 40 percent. The academy […]

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 Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Project, a joint endeavor of the Partnership for Prevention and the UCLA School of Public Health, conducted this HIA on a state legislative proposal to expand funding for after-school programs. The HIA found several potential health benefits that could occur through improving educational outcomes; through reductions in violence and injury […]

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 […]

The University of Texas, El Paso conducted an HIA focused on public transportation. The HIA solicited community input regarding transportation needs within Doña Ana County, New Mexico, between Las Cruces and rural towns in southern areas of the state. The final report recommended designing public transportation routes to increase residents’ access to health-promoting and educational […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Utah legislators were urged by coalitions and associations to consider raising the legal age of tobacco purchases from 19 to 21. During the 2015 legislative session, In response to requests from civic coalitions and associations, Representative Powell proposed a bill to raise the legal age of tobacco purchases from 19 to 21 in 2015. A […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

Human Impact Partners, in partnership with Building Healthy Communities Merced, the Merced Organizing Project, and the California Endowment, conducted an HIA of “restorative justice school discipline” pilots in Merced, California. Restorative justice policies are dialogue-based decision-making processes that consider the needs of all those involved in a disciplinary incident: victims, offenders, and school staff. In […]

Human Impact Partners conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) to assess how current U.S. immigration policy, and specifically the threat of detention and deportation, can affect the health and mental health of parents and children living in mixed-status families. If deportations continued at 2012 levels, the HIA estimated that child health, behavioral, and educational outcomes […]

The UCLA School of Public Health, in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Project MOVE, conducted an HIA on the health impacts of the Sacramento Safe Routes to School Program. The program seeks to reduce the number of children killed while walking and biking to school, and foster an active lifestyle among […]

The San Francisco departments of Public Health (SFDPH) and Planning used the Sustainable Communities Index (SCI) to describe community assets in the Central Corridor and make recommendations for a plan that will guide development between Market, Townsend, Second, and Sixth streets. SCI, developed by SFDPH in 2007, is a system used to analyze communities based […]

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 […]

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 Childhood Obesity Prevention Research Program at Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, with technical assistance from Upstream Public Health, conducted an HIA to examine the potential impacts of a state farm-to-school (F2S) coordinator position on the health of the state’s public school students. As of 2017, nearly 1 in 4 Arkansas kindergarteners were overweight or obese, […]

The Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD) partnered with the Georgia Department of Public Health to conduct an HIA to explore the health impact associated with the redevelopment of a downtown corridor in Macon, Georgia. The population in the study area faces a variety of health challenges, such as low socioeconomic status and […]

The Kentucky Environmental Foundation, in collaboration with the Purchase District Health Department, conducted an HIA to inform decisions on whether to retire or retrofit the coal-fired Shawnee Fossil Plant in McCracken County. The HIA also informed the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Integrated Resource Planning, which guides future energy production scenarios. Data indicate that rates of asthma, […]

This HIA provided information to Washington County’s leaders and planners as they updated the county’s active transportation policies, and made decisions about the design of bicycle and pedestrian facilities in upcoming transportation projects. The goals of the HIA were to understand barriers to biking and walking in Washington County, and research the connections between health, […]

The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County and the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) conducted a health impact assessment of the George Road Complete Streets Implementation Plan, which aimed to provide a safe bicycle and pedestrian connection between the Town ‘N’ Country Greenway and the Courtney Campbell Trail. The study found that the plan […]

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 […]

The San Francisco Department of Public Health conducted an HIA to explore how three policies it was considering could improve health for residents in single-room occupancy hotels, which serve as the biggest source of inexpensive housing for the city’s most vulnerable populations, such as seniors, adults with disabilities, and children. They typically offer an 8-by-10 […]

The Pediatric Injury Prevention Education and Research Program at the Colorado School of Public Health, in collaboration with Children’s Hospital Colorado and the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, conducted an HIA to inform Colorado Department of Human Services consideration of new policies on how marijuana use should be […]

The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services partnered with the PedNet Coalition and Central Missouri Community Action in late 2011 to perform an HIA on the health effects of expanding and improving bus service in Columbia. The HIA focused on health indicators most likely to be affected by expansion of public transit, […]

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 […]

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 […]

Bicycle Haywood NC, a local bicycle advocacy group, and the Haywood County Recreation and Parks Department conducted an HIA to determine the impacts of the Haywood County Comprehensive Bike Plan. The HIA focused on key health outcomes that are strongly linked to bicycle activity: leading causes of death from heart, cancer and ischemic heart issues; […]

In June of 2011, the City of Independence passed a complete streets policy. The first part of implementing the complete streets policy included the addition of bike lanes. The HIA addressed the health impacts of placement of bike lanes and made recommendations on how to improve physical activity, healthy food access, and safety. The HIA […]

The Arkansas Community Institute, Central Arkansas ReEntry Coalition, and local partners conducted an HIA of H.B. 1166, which would create a “warranty of habitability”—a set of basic statewide quality standards in public and private rental housing. The project focused on the bill’s potential impacts on low-income renters living south of Interstate 630 in Little Rock, […]

With funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Wayne County, MI Department of Public Health completed a health impact assessment (HIA) of a national and statewide policy proposal for gender pay equity.  Wayne County DPH’s Place Matters team is focused on infant mortality, and is interested to work on upstream issues that impact maternal and […]

The Clean Air Council, in partnership with the community, industry professionals, and academics, conducted a health impact assessment of a proposed Royal Dutch Shell natural gas and chemical processing complex in Monaca, Pennsylvania. The proposed facility is known as a “cracker,” which separates natural gas and chemical feedstocks into different compounds that are used primarily […]

The Vermont Department of Health and key stakeholders conducted an HIA of the potential effects on the health of Vermont residents of regulating and taxing adult marijuana use. To evaluate possible impacts, the study team examined lessons learned from tobacco and alcohol policies that could be replicated to protect and improve health in a regulated […]

The Douglas County Health Department conducted an HIA to inform the Omaha Planning Department and City Council’s Deer Park Neighborhood Redevelopment Plan, which will rehabilitate 33 existing properties, construct five new homes, and assemble a range of partners to address future needs of neighborhood residents. Housing has implications for such health issues as lead poisoning, […]

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) […]

The HIA addressed an update of the Humboldt County General Plan. Three growth alternatives to accommodate future population were being considered in the General Plan Update (GPU): 1) denser development in urban areas; 2) some growth to exurban areas; and 3) unrestricted growth throughout the county. Pathways and health issues explored included comments on six […]

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 […]

The Washington County Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Division, in partnership with the Washington County Department of Land Use and Transportation, conducted a rapid HIA in 2014 to identify the potential health impacts of building a bicycle and pedestrian bridge to join two sections of SW Augusta Lane over Beaverton Creek in […]

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health conducted an HIA to investigate how 2007 California Senate Bill 120 and 2008 Senate Bill 1420 could impact the obesity epidemic. The proposed laws outline requirements for chain restaurants to provide nutritional information. The HIA found that menu labeling in these restaurants would likely result in modest […]

The Washington County Departments of Public Works and Public Health and Environment, in collaboration with the Gateway Corridor Commission, conducted an HIA to examine the potential health impacts of possible land-use changes around the Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit corridor and to inform comprehensive planning of station areas in five cities—Saint Paul, Maplewood, Oakdale, Landfall, […]

Public health graduate students at Brigham Young University conducted an HIA to analyze potential health effects of the Utah Medical Cannabis Act (UMCA), a ballot initiative to legalize the use and production of medical marijuana in the state. The authors investigated how the UMCA might affect potential medical marijuana users, adolescents, economically disadvantaged individuals, and […]

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 […]

The National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership (NCMLP) at Boston Medical Center conducted an HIA of a pilot program run by Illinois’ largest electric utility, Commonwealth Edison. The project assessed the potential health effects of implementing “smart metering” technology in western metropolitan Chicago. Health effects included how these innovations could alter the risk of potentially life-threatening […]

This health impact assessment, or HIA, will inform the 2015 Georgia Qualified Allocation Plan for low-income housing tax credits. The plan is required each year as the Internal Revenue Service allocates housing tax credits to state agencies, which then award the credits to developers of qualified projects. The HIA, conducted by the Georgia Health Policy […]

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) is studying a pending policy of the Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) on grade retention. Grade retention is the practice used by many schools, public and private, where an underachieving student is not allowed to advance to the next grade and instead is made to repeat the grade. This practice is […]

This HIA for San Miguel County and the San Miguel County Detention Center (SMCDC) suggests the (ARC) Adult Reintegration Center can improve community health through addiction, violence, and recidivism interventions, including in-patient treatment, the Alternatives to Violence Project, and health services like addiction treatment, dental care, and mental health support.   – The creation of […]

The Kentucky Environmental Foundation conducted an HIA of coal and clean energy options in the state of Kentucky. The HIA provided a health-based screening of the life cycle of coal from point of extraction to disposal of byproducts. These impacts are compared to those associated with energy efficiency and renewable energy options proposed in the […]

The Tri-County Health Department conducted an HIA of Sheridan’s Comprehensive Plan update, which is intended to help frame policies that maximize positive health effects and prioritize implementation strategies. The previous Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2004, had focused on programmatic municipal changes and guidance for specific properties in the community. One objective for the new plan […]

Lane County Public Health, in partnership with the Eugene Planning and Development Department and the Oregon Public Health Institute, conducted a rapid HIA on an affordable housing policy outlined in the 2010 consolidated plan for the cities of Eugene and Springfield, focusing on impacts to children’s health. The plan describes a five-year vision for housing […]

The Mid-City Community Advocacy Network (MCC) conducted an HIA to inform proposals by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and the San Diego City Council to try to improve the outcomes of juveniles in the justice system by adopting “restorative justice.” This means creating opportunities for victims and offenders to discuss the crime and […]

University of Washington graduate students, in partnership with the Seattle Departments of Transportation and Planning and Development, conducted a rapid HIA of the Delridge Corridor Project. The plan is part of a broader city effort to transform major roads and neighboring streets into safer and healthier public places. The health pathways explored included zoning, mobility, […]

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 […]

Hennepin County’s Department of Housing, Community Works and Transit (HCWT) conducted an HIA to inform planning decisions on the proposed Bottineau Transitway. The transitway proposal would create a new bus or light rail line extending from downtown Minneapolis through North Minneapolis and into neighboring suburbs. The HIA was coordinated with the Draft Environmental Impact Statement […]

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 […]

This health impact assessment was initiated due to a Minnesota state legislation mandate to address health equity specifically. – The creation of this HIA Report 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, […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with the Massachusetts Departments of Public Health and Environmental Protection, is conducting a health impact assessment to help the City of Springfield, Massachusetts compare options for renovation and improvement at the Gerena Elementary School. – This Health Impact Assessment Report first appeared in The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health. The […]

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH) is conducting an HIA to examine the health effects of the Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative (TLCI) planning project for key intersections of the four mile stretch of Euclid Avenue in Euclid, Ohio.  At this time, the plan intends to produce specific recommendations for 1) pedestrian and bicycle […]

The HIA addressed the health implications of a housing assistance and homelessness prevention program called the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MVRP), as well as proposed changes to the program for FY2006. The HIA: 1) looked specifically at program components like time limits, work requirements, eligibility determination and required tenant rent contributions; and 2) studied the […]

The City of Worcester is beginning a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization strategy in the Union Hill area, a neighborhood that has experienced decline in recent decades. The Worcester Division of Public Health, along with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and staff from the Worcester Office of Economic Development, will conduct a rapid health impact assessment […]

This health impact assessment assesses the prevalence and severity of bullying, identify the health impacts on students involved, and consider the potential impact on health of the proposed legislation, the Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act. – The creation of this HIA Report was supported by a grant from the Health Impact Project. The views […]

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 […]

In 2008, Hurricane Ike brought disaster to Galveston, Texas, destroying over 500 public housing units and displacing residents, many of whom already faced a disproportionate burden of poor health determinants and outcomes such as lack of access to medical care and exercise opportunities, and higher rates of asthma, high blood pressure, and other conditions. Local […]

In 2020, Healthy Eating Research conducted a rapid HIA to inform proposed changes to the USDA’s nutrition standards for school meal programs. The HIA found that the implementation of strong nutrition standards following passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010 resulted in healthier, more well-balanced meals and that these improvements have significant short- […]

The North Central Oregon Public Health District, in partnership with the North Wasco County School District and the City of The Dalles Community Development Department, utilized the San Francisco Pedestrian Environmental Quality Index (PEQI) to assess pedestrian safety around Colonel Wright and Dry Hollow Elementary Schools. The school district recently revised the lines for bus […]