This brief summary of "Utilizing participatory approaches to inform a health impact assessment of a city's revitalization plan" was presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association in San Francisco, California. October 31st, 2012

1. M. Mason, B. Wyatt, K. Chavez, L. Schott, K. Widomski
Funded by:Tri-County Health Department
and Communities Putting Prevention to Work
American Public Health Association
Annual Meeting
Wednesday, October 31, 2012

2. Presenter disclosures
No conflict of interest and relationships to disclose

3. Health Impact Assessment (HIA)
 Systematically evaluates potential
health effects of a project or
policy before it is implemented.
 Provides recommendations to
increase positive health outcomes
and minimize adverse health
outcomes.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010
 Systematically evaluates potential
health effects of a project or
policy before it is implemented.
 Provides recommendations to
increase positive health outcomes
and minimize adverse health
outcomes.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010
Six Step HIA Process:
1. Screening
2. Scoping
3. Assessing
4. Recommending
5. Reporting
6. Monitoring and
Evaluating
Source: National Association of County and City Health
Officials, 2008
Six Step HIA Process:
1. Screening
2. Scoping
3. Assessing
4. Recommending
5. Reporting
6. Monitoring and
Evaluating
Source: National Association of County and City Health
Officials, 2008

4. A call for more participatory HIAs
 Simple, people-centered, low
technology approaches to health
impact assessment at the local level
are needed (Mittlemark, 2001)

5. HIA screening & scoping
 HIA of South Thornton Subarea
Revitalizatin (STaR) Plan
 STaR Plan advisory board
informed the HIA process
 Comprehensive HIA focused on
healthy eating, active living (HEAL)
 Funding provided by Tri County
Health Department and
Communities Putting Prevention to
Work

6. Thornton, Colorado

7. Sustainable Communities Index (SCI)
HIA Indicators
 Sustainable and safe transportation
 Social cohesion
 Public infrastructure/access to goods
and services
 Demographics
 Health outcomes
• Healthy economy
• Environmental stewardship
• Adequate and healthy housing
 = used in the STaR Plan HIA to
address HEAL
HIA Indicators
 Sustainable and safe transportation
 Social cohesion
 Public infrastructure/access to goods
and services
 Demographics
 Health outcomes
• Healthy economy
• Environmental stewardship
• Adequate and healthy housing
 = used in the STaR Plan HIA to
address HEAL

8. Community-based participatory approach
 Action-oriented community
diagnosis (AOCD)
 Identify untapped resident
strengths and resources to
address issues in community,
especially as it relates to health
and illness (Eng, 2006).
 Asset-based community
development (ABCD)
 Build on the skills of local
residents, the power of local
associations, and the supportive
functions of local institutions (ABCD
Institute, 2012).

9. Assessing
 What data exist or need
to be collected?
 How residents might
be affected by the STaR
Plan?

10.  Neighborhood tours (car and bike)
 Key informant interviews
 Intercept surveys
Participatory assessment process

11.  Walkability & bikeability assessments
 Community mapping
 Community forum
Participatory process continued

12. Participants and sessions by activity
Activities in English & Spanish # of participants # of sessions
Neighborhood tours (car and
bike)
6 2 tours
Intercept surveys 81 8
Key informant interviews 10 11
Walk & bike assessments 35 2
Planning Active Community
Environments (PLACE) Training
18 1
Community mapping 18 3
Community forum 28 1

13. Community-driven
recommendations and reporting
 The key SCI indicators that
emerged as contributors to
HEAL include:
– Access to good and services
(i.e., healthy foods)
– Social connections and
communication (i.e., social
cohesion)
– Public infrastructure and
transportation (i.e., sustainable
and safe options)
 The STaR Plan goals and
strategies support positive
health outcomes for south
Thornton community members.

14. Monitoring & evaluation
Short-term Successes
 Built ongoing HEAL coalition
 Received multi-year funding to
address HEAL issues
 HIA recommendations approved by
resolution by City of Thornton City
Council: April 10, 2012
 Received the Colorado Chapter of
the American Planning Association’s
2012 Merit Award in the Category of
Sustainability

15. Strengths of utilizing participatory
approaches during a HIA
 Gained an “insiders view” about
community dynamics
 Inserted community voice in planning
dialogue
 Generated new learning and expanded
social networks for everyone involved
 Began the organizing process to
address HEAL issues for sustainability

16. Challenges of utilizing participatory
approaches during a HIA
 Substantial investment of time 1yr.
 Multiple obligations and timelines (e.g.
stakeholders and seasonal)
 Gaining trust with local agencies
 Facilitating meetings with diverse
community members and finding common
ground

17. Lessoned learned
 Be flexible in how you engage people
in the HIA process
 Find ways to keep people involved to
maintain momentum
 Remove as many barriers as possible
(e.g., provide childcare, interpreters,
dinner)
 Increase organizational capacity to
assist with community outreach (e.g.,
sufficient bilingual staff)

18. Thank you! ¡Gracias!
For more information contact:
Community Enterprise ‐ (303) 288‐4783
or
City of Thornton
http://www.cityofthornton.net/Departments/CityDevelopment/LongRa
ngePlanning/Pages/SustainabilityWellness.aspx

19. Some key STaR Plan
HIA recommendations
 Incentivize increasing access to nutritious food (e.g., Smart
MealTM Program, zoning for urban farming and community
garden) and physical activity.
 Strengthen and expand partnerships with community residents
and those with focus on HEAL (e.g., Bicycle Colorado).
 Establish joint use agreements with school district for shared
recreation and community facilities.
 Build infrastructure to improve walkability and safety for
people of all ages and abilities (e.g., lighting, landscaping,
signage/wayfinding, traffic calming measures, shelter and
seating at transit stops).