A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) illustrates the importance of considering public-health factors, such as physical activity, respiratory and mental health, water quality, social equity, healthy aging, and social capital, when creating the built environment. The report is the latest product of CDC’s Healthy Community Design Initiative, aimed at combating soaring rates of asthma, diabetes, and obesity by improving the way communities are designed. Greater Ohio Policy Center applauds these efforts. As a place- based organization that emphasizes the importance of vibrant, walkable, bikable quality places, Greater Ohio agrees that the built environment is the cornerstone of healthy communities. In our Restoring Prosperity to Ohio report, we list several recommendations to strengthen our quality places and build on our assets. Not only do these quality places drive economic development, but they also impact the health of their inhabitants as well.
For more information on the report and CDC’s Healthy Community Initiative, contact Charles Green at 770-488-0626 or clg8@cdc.gov. You can also subscribe to the Healthy Community Design News Listserv.