Healthy Community Design:Policy Statements for Official Plans

Simcoe County Trail Development Symposium – 13 April 2010 Megan Williams, Health Promotion Specialist

How do we get from this…How do we get from this…

To this…To this…

And to this?And to this?

Good PlanningGood Planning

It’s called good planningIt’s called good planning Land use planningLand use planning Community designCommunity design Planning for healthPlanning for health

Some ThoughtsSome Thoughts

““We ought to plan the ideal of our city with four considerations. We ought to plan the ideal of our city with four considerations. The first, as being the most indispensable, is health.”The first, as being the most indispensable, is health.”

Aristotle, Aristotle, PoliticsPolitics (ca. 350 BC) (ca. 350 BC)

““We shape our buildings; thereafter, our buildings shape us.”We shape our buildings; thereafter, our buildings shape us.”Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill

““When everything looks the same there is no such thing as place When everything looks the same there is no such thing as place any longer.”any longer.”

James Howard KunstlerJames Howard Kunstler

How to Affect ChangeHow to Affect Change

Using a health promotion model:Using a health promotion model: AwarenessAwareness EducationEducation Skill developmentSkill development Supportive environmentsSupportive environments AdvocacyAdvocacy Policy developmentPolicy development

What is Policy?What is Policy?

“… “… a deliberate plan of action to guide decisions and achieve a deliberate plan of action to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome(s). rational outcome(s).

““Policies can be understood as political, management, Policies can be understood as political, management, financial, and administrative mechanisms arranged to reach financial, and administrative mechanisms arranged to reach explicit goals.”explicit goals.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Policyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Policy

Provincial Land Use PoliciesProvincial Land Use Policies

Ontario’s long-term prosperity, environmental health and social well-being depend on wisely managing change and promoting efficient land use and development patterns. Efficient land use and development patterns support strong, liveable and healthy communities, protect the environment and public health and safety, and facilitate economic growth.

(Provincial Policy Statement 2005, Part V, 1.0 Building Strong Communities)

Places to Grow – Growth PlanPlaces to Grow – Growth Plan

This Plan is about buildingThis Plan is about buildingcomplete communities, whethercomplete communities, whetherurban or rural. These areurban or rural. These arecommunities that are wellcommunities that are welldesigned, offer transportationdesigned, offer transportationchoices, accommodate people atchoices, accommodate people atall stages of life and have the rightall stages of life and have the rightmix of housing, a good range ofmix of housing, a good range ofjobs, and easy access to storesjobs, and easy access to storesand services to meet daily needs.and services to meet daily needs.

(Places to Grow - Growth Plan 2006, (Places to Grow - Growth Plan 2006, p.13)p.13)

Health Unit’s BHC Initiative Health Unit’s BHC Initiative

Building Healthy Communities (BHC) Committee established - Building Healthy Communities (BHC) Committee established - March 2006 in response to:March 2006 in response to: Increasing evidence of connections between health and the built Increasing evidence of connections between health and the built

environmentenvironment Provincial planning – policy direction was towards intensification Provincial planning – policy direction was towards intensification

and densification to achieve healthier, complete communitiesand densification to achieve healthier, complete communities Built environment identified as a priority in HU Strategic Plan Built environment identified as a priority in HU Strategic Plan

2007-20102007-2010 Identification of built environment in the OPHSIdentification of built environment in the OPHS Operational plans – have achieved some successesOperational plans – have achieved some successes

Policy Resource - BackgroundPolicy Resource - Background

BHC 2009 Operational Plan Objective 1:BHC 2009 Operational Plan Objective 1: Engage with strategic partners to influence planning decisions Engage with strategic partners to influence planning decisions

using healthy community criteria. using healthy community criteria.

Key deliverable of this objective:Key deliverable of this objective: Conduct needs assessment of local municipal planners and Conduct needs assessment of local municipal planners and

develop tools & resources to assist them in creating healthy and develop tools & resources to assist them in creating healthy and complete communities.complete communities.

Hearing from PlannersHearing from Planners

Feb 2009 - Conducted needs Feb 2009 - Conducted needs assessment of municipal planners in assessment of municipal planners in Simcoe and MuskokaSimcoe and Muskoka

Results indicated that planners Results indicated that planners wanted:wanted: checklist of healthy community design checklist of healthy community design

criteria criteria draft policy statements with health draft policy statements with health

enhancing language/principlesenhancing language/principles resource manualresource manual

Decision made to focus on upstream Decision made to focus on upstream approach – policy developmentapproach – policy development

The ResourceThe Resource

Healthy Community Design: Healthy Community Design: Policy Statements for Official PlansPolicy Statements for Official Plans

Dissemination StrategyDissemination Strategy

Municipal Planners in Simcoe MuskokaMunicipal Planners in Simcoe Muskoka Electronic distribution by mid-March 2010Electronic distribution by mid-March 2010 Hard copy distribution by April 2010Hard copy distribution by April 2010 Webinar/seminarWebinar/seminar Work with County and District to promote with their plannersWork with County and District to promote with their planners

Municipal Elected Officials in SMMunicipal Elected Officials in SM Executive summaryExecutive summary Invitation to webinars, presentations, meetings, etc.Invitation to webinars, presentations, meetings, etc.

Partners and Stakeholders in SM and throughout OntarioPartners and Stakeholders in SM and throughout Ontario Staff to use with municipalities, groups and individuals as part of their Staff to use with municipalities, groups and individuals as part of their

regular work with partners regular work with partners Promote to and with provincial partners (e.g. OPPI, Ontario ministries, Promote to and with provincial partners (e.g. OPPI, Ontario ministries,

OPHA, alPHa, etc.)OPHA, alPHa, etc.) Presentations & meetingsPresentations & meetings

Evaluation of ResourceEvaluation of Resource

Develop and implement evaluation plan for BHC Policy Develop and implement evaluation plan for BHC Policy resourceresource

Expected in summer 2010Expected in summer 2010

Using it for Trail DevelopmentUsing it for Trail Development

Develop your plan – use a variety of different strategiesDevelop your plan – use a variety of different strategies Create awareness, educate people, find champions, mobilize the Create awareness, educate people, find champions, mobilize the

community, advocatecommunity, advocate Engage stakeholders and community membersEngage stakeholders and community members Use resource as an advocacy toolUse resource as an advocacy tool

Become familiar with your municipality’s Official Plan, Zoning Become familiar with your municipality’s Official Plan, Zoning Bylaw, etc.Bylaw, etc.

Look at where the gaps are and where things can be strengthenedLook at where the gaps are and where things can be strengthened Become part of the public consultation process for OP reviews, Become part of the public consultation process for OP reviews,

updates and amendmentsupdates and amendments Meet with Council members, planners, etc.Meet with Council members, planners, etc.

Review implementation suggestionsReview implementation suggestions Are there any you can adopt or push for?Are there any you can adopt or push for?

Other suggestions?Other suggestions?

Questions & DiscussionQuestions & Discussion