Join APA-CMS and ILASLA in a joint (virtual) event to discuss the ties between where you live and your health, and learn how public health professionals, planners, and landscape architects can work together to improve community health. Speakers will include representatives from the Illinois Public Health Institute, Kane County Department of Transportation, Sinai Urban Health Institute (SUHI), Edward-Elmhurst Health, and international design studio DesignWorkshop.

SPEAKERS:

.PDFs of presentations are linked below each speaker

Jess Lynch, Illinois Public Health Institute's Alliance for Health Equity team will present data from the Chicago metro area to ground the conversation regarding the connections between health, planning, and urban design.

• Click here to view the video that Jess shared during her presentation.

• One resource Jess shared with tools related to health impacts/benefits of parks and trails is this workbook from National Park Service and CDC.

• Jess also shared a study by Dr. Teresa Horton at Northwestern University linking nature to improved mental and behavioral health

• Healing-centered community development

Learn about the community health worker (CHW) programs that serve a central role in the Sinai Urban Health Institute’s (SUHI) strategy to improve health inequities and urban health on Chicago’s West Side. Stacy Ignoffo, Director of Community Health Innovations, will present on what SUHI has learned over 20 years working with CHWs.

Jackie Forbes, Chief of Planning and Programming for Kane County DOT, co-led the development of Kane County’s Health Impact Assessment and will discuss and county level policies and practices that promote health equity.

Jan Roehll, DuPage County Program Director at The Conservation Foundation will discuss the Healthy Driven Take a Hike! Challenge starting this Fall, an 8-week program that is partnering with local community sponsors to get families actively experiencing the outdoors through hiking.

• Click here to view Jan's slides

• Take a Hike Challenge!

• Jan shared the NCH2 newsletter

• Jan also shared another organization that promotes the advancement of nature as a social determinant of health is SHiFT (Shaping How we Invest For Tomorrow)

Manisha Kaul, PLA is Principal and Chicago Studio Director of Design Workshop and will discuss the role planners and landscape architects play in enhancing the public realm that directly impacts physical and mental health. Manisha will present projects where innovation and cultural narratives are celebrated in unison and contribute to maintaining a sense of place by integrating the many different user interests and inspiring the community through beauty and art.