Active Design/Healthy Communities: State of the City
Date: January 24, 2018
Time: 8 – 10 AM
Location: Center / Architecture + Design, 1218 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
CES/CM/LUs: Pending
Registration: https://www.aiaphiladelphia.org/events/active-designhealthy-communities-state-city
Event Cost: FREE

A child in Society Hill is expected to live 20 years longer than a child born in Strawberry Mansion. How can public health join forces with design to not only address these inequities but go further to promote physical, mental, emotional, and civic well-being? Join the AIA Philadelphia’s Active Design/Healthy Communities Committee, in partnership with Fit City PHL, to kick off our 2018 series of conversations about the intersection of health and design. We will hear a presentation about the current Health of the City from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health Chief Epidemiologist to ground the discussion in Philadelphia-specific data. This will be followed by a case study and conversation about how the new South Philadelphia Community Health Literacy Center connects health and urban design on the ground.

The Active Design/Healthy Communities Committee Mission: The design of buildings, sites and communities have a profound effect on the health and well-being of the occupants and users of such spaces. The mission of the Active Design/Healthy Communities Committee is to provide AIA Philadelphia members, associated professionals, policy-makers and the general public a forum for education and advocacy on design strategies that improve health equity. The Committee will fulfill its mission through collaboratively developing Philadelphia-specific content, tools and opportunities for action with programs, conferences, exhibits and other materials, and by connecting participants with other organizations and experts in the field.

FitCityPHL: FitCityPHL explores design strategies in workplaces, neighborhoods, and cities that improve health by promoting physical activity and healthy eating. It brings together individuals representing the sectors of architecture, planning, design, landscape architecture, development, public health, research and evaluation, academia, philanthropy, and government to learn about how the built environment can have a positive impact on the negative health trends currently facing communities – particularly obesity and other chronic conditions.