Promoting Sustainable Communities

I will dedicate these next two posts to health promotion of our environment. This is an area of public health that has gained attention in recent years. 

We were asked to watch an online video about Healthy Community Designs. Dr. Frumkin, former Director of the National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry discussed the connection between the communities we live in and our health. Better community design can improve physical activity, lower greenhouse gas emissions and increase social connectedness. Here are some take-away points from the video :

During the healthy community designs discussion, Dr. Frumkin refers to urban planners, architects, members of zoning boards and citizens as health professionals, too. It is the duty of both technical and political professionals and public health professionals to advocate for walkable communities. His message presents a few implications (in my opinion) for public health educators and promoters. First, the physical environment impacts both chronic and infectious diseases, access to goods and services, social connectedness, risk of injury and air quality. As public health professionals, we have the epidemiological data showing the connection between disease and social and environmental determinants. Now, the goal is to collaborate with local government officials and others who want safer, cleaner and healthier communities.

Another striking statement Dr. Frumkin made was regarding aging in place. We must give special consideration to the aging population. By the year 2030, people sixty-five and older will account for approximately nineteen percent of the United States’ population (Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging). Not all elderly will be able to age in place but if they elect to, there should be options for them to dwell in familiar communities that are conducive to their needs.

A third implication is policy development; an example would be pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure, as well as safety. Better policies and regulations would prevent injury and deaths, while increasing the ability and willingness to commute by foot or bicycle. The video message indicates that there are several aspects of healthy community building that warrant policy and administration intervention. We have the information and know what needs to be done. The difficult part is to collaborate with the other professions and to actually “build” these communities.

Image from Washington State Department of Transportation