What do you think makes a community healthy? Is it safety measures, quality housing and transportation options, access to fresh food, or proximity to quality health care and amenities? Or is it some combination of all of these factors? Whatever you believe, here’s your chance to influence the way public health efforts are prioritized throughout Chicago:
The Chicago Partnership for Public Health, a group of representatives from city agencies and advocacy organizations coordinated by the Chicago Dept. of Public Health, is distributing an anonymous, online survey to residents to understand how they feel about the health of their neighborhoods. Results from the survey, which takes just about 10 minutes complete, will be used as part of a community needs assessment being conducted for the City of Chicago, to help the Chicago Partnership identify areas to prioritize its efforts.
Take the survey in English.
Para completar la encuesta en Español.
Learn more about the Chicago Partnership for Public Health.
On behalf of MPC, I’m happy to participate on the Chicago Partnership. Coordinating planning and public health efforts is an essential step in ensuring that Chicagoland’s neighborhoods are great places to live, work, and play – and walk, run, and bike!
Study after study is pointing to the same thing: the way cities are planned has a huge impact on public health. As obvious as this may seem, far too many of our cities and neighborhoods are designed in a way that negatively effects residents' well being. To learn more, check out this sampling of recent articles and blog posts that describe the problem – and what we can do to make a difference.
Walkable neighborhoods and subways may be why Washington DC is a leader in fighting obesity, Congress for the New Urbanism blogs, 8/5/10
Our Waistlines Are Expanding In Sync With Our Car-Dependence, Streetsblog, 8/9/10
Urban planning essential for public health, World Health Organization, 4/7/10
How Urban Planning Can Improve Public Health, Miller McCune, 4/28/10