By Rebecca Wetzler and Sam Pearson

The Healthy Communities in PA (HCiPA) Committee has a title that is fairly self-explanatory and somewhat all-encompassing. The issues and concerns that fall under the heading of healthy communities range from food access to safe housing to clean air to accessibility. We really cover the full range, looking at how communities that explicitly focus on directly meeting people’s basic needs are also the ones on the most secure path to economic vitality, cultural vibrancy and committed community engagement. We are an interdisciplinary group with explicit outreach to planners, health professionals, and allied practitioners. The primary focus is on keeping the Social and Physical Determinants of Health, i.e. the upstream conditions that hold so much sway over individual health outcomes, in mind and looking for ways to engage with planning in health beyond the silos that often confine us to just looking at land use policy or individual health behaviors in isolation. The silos have long determined not just our spheres of influence but also the horizon of our thinking. Multi-disciplinary collaborations like HCiPA help to find opportunities for meaningful action to bring health to bear in planning and vice versa.

At the October 2023 APA PA Conference, the committee co-chairs, Rebecca Wetzler and Samantha Pearson, polled the audience about what aspects of healthy communities were most relevant to folks’ professional work. There were 268 mentimeter responses in a room with low cell reception; yet when we asked “to what extent are you able to address health in your work?” the majority of respondents said “occasionally” or “rarely” (77 out of 105 respondents). Health and planning are each such complex fields and together hold so much potential.

The trees you plant today could impact the health of generations from now. How do you measure that when deciding to use trees as bollards to keep pedestrians safe from cars? What cost benefit analysis will justify using structural soil that has a higher upfront cost but keeps your sidewalks flatter and the extends the tree lifespan? This space- looking at the access to health and healthy spaces – has so many ties to equity, to housing, to policy decisions around who is included and what is measured. We are grateful to be part of a small but mighty group of researchers and engaged professionals who regularly ask “What are the best practices here? What data are available? How can we find out more?”

Reflection from Rebecca

Recently, as I walked along a street with my son, pedaling his tricycle, heading towards daycare, I looked at the tree-lined street with sidewalks on both sides connecting us to a key everyday destination and I thought about how many professionals helped make that trip possible. The zoning officers, traffic counters, sidewalk ordinance drafters, shade tree commissioners, and so many others each made decisions and took action to enable our little happy, healthy ramble. To all the folks who incorporate health in their planning work, thank you for the work you do, on behalf of myself, my son, and generations ahead!

HCiPA meets the first Tuesday of every month, from 2-3pm Eastern, online. As a mix of planners, people in healthcare, and other related professionals, we share announcements across our fields, grant opportunities, and coalesce around a 5-10 minute “geek out” where we hear a brief presentation on a relevant topic and then discuss. Recent presenters have shared topics including: Traffic Gardens, Behavioral Economics, and Intergenerational Community Planning and Placemaking. We send members links to the meeting notes and recordings, so sign up and please feel free to join us for future meetings!