CDC aims to help public health and planning professionals work together

Training toolkit helps public health professionals and urban planners speak each other’s languages

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put together a training framework to educate both public health professionals and urban planners on our common goal to create healthier communities.  The design and development of these communities to combat 21^st century chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes requires collaboration on all levels for the most effective results.

The full toolkit includes six sections, each loaded with recorded webinars, briefs, publications, fact sheets, PowerPoint presentations, podcasts, and more as a one stop resource to understand the connections between public health and the built environment.

Here you’ll learn about making the case for healthy communities with resources on physical activity, obesity, injury, and climate change.  Review public health methods for addressing these issues through surveillance, epidemiology, evaluation, communication, and training. See how infrastructure like transportation, housing, food systems, and green spaces impacts health.

The background information satisfied, start moving forward with planning points of influence like visioning, plan making, and implementation. Learn the skills for effective improvement such as engagement, health equity, and advocacy. Finally, prepare to apply your new skills through HIA, Health Districts and Safe Routes.

Are you ready to take on the challenge? Review the full toolkit, including all of the above, a small selection of U.S. case studies, and the Built Environment and Public Health Clearinghouse resources here.