Board of Health approves blueprint for a healthy King County

January 1, 0001

Summary

Guidelines seen as outline to assist communities in land use and transportation planning decisions

Story

The King County Board of Health today passed a resolution approving and supporting the 2010 Board of Health Guidelines: Planning for Healthy Communities, intended to inform land use and transportation planning decisions to promote healthy living throughout King County.

“Our environment, such as our roads, walking paths and economic infrastructure, has a significant impact on the physical, mental and social well-being of the people in our communities” said Julia Patterson, Chair of the King County Board of Health. “These guidelines are intended to help local jurisdictions ensure that their land use planning decisions do not compromise the public’s health, and to serve as a reminder that planning issues remain at the root of some of the most widespread public health problems like obesity and substance abuse.”

The Board of Health has been actively promoting the goals of healthy eating and active living since 2005 with the King County Overweight Prevention Initiative and other efforts, after an increasing body of evidence has shown that effective land use and transportation planning decisions can help create environments that allow people to be physically active, eat healthy food, and live in safe and healthy places.

The Board’s planning for Healthy Communities guidelines are intended to inform land use and transportation planners working at regional, county, and city levels of actions.

The guidelines include:
• Physical Activity: Residents in all communities in King County have access to safe and convenient opportunities for physical activity and exercise.

• Nutrition: Residents in all communities in King County have access to healthy, affordable foods.

• Harmful Environmental Exposures: Residents in all communities in King County are protected from exposure to harmful environmental agents and infectious diseases.

• Injury:
     o Residents in all communities in King County use transportation systems designed to prevent driver, bicyclist and pedestrian injuries.
     o Residents in all communities in King County live in safe communities free from violence and fear of violence.

• Tobacco Use: Residents in all communities in King County are protected from involuntary exposure to second hand tobacco smoke and children cannot access tobacco products.

• Alcohol Use: Residents in all communities in King County are protected from negative impacts of alcohol.

• Mental Health and Well-being: Residents in all communities in King County benefit from community design that maximizes opportunities for social connectivity and stress reduction.

• Access to Health Care: Residents in all communities in King County have local access to health care services.

Urban planning and public health have been linked for nearly a century, starting from the need to prevent infectious disease outbreaks in the early 1900’s. More recently public health agencies, including the King County Board of Health, have returned to a focus on urban design as it becomes more apparent that “place” does matter and that the leading causes of death and disability are linked to the environments where we live, work, learn and play.

In 2008, the Puget Sound Regional Council adopted VISION 2040, the growth management, environmental, economic, and transportation strategy for the Central Puget Sound Region which contains strategies for promoting the well-being of people and communities, economic vitality, and a healthy environment. Within VISION 2040, the Built Environment and Health section includes broad goal and policies to serve as a platform for counties and cities as they continue to integrate knowledge of public health impacts into their planning activities.

The Board of Health, based on its function to promote and improve public health for all King County residents, determined this an opportune time to provide additional guidance and detail as jurisdictions work to include the VISION 2040 policies on the built environment and health into their planning processes. The Board of Health supports the reintegration of public health into planning decisions as an important strategy to ensure that all people and communities have the opportunity to make healthy choices regardless of their income, education or ethnic background.