Whether you’re a planner or public health professional, these resources will guide you in creating healthy communities. Florida’s diverse and ever-changing population require adaptable solutions; whether for elderly or young, metropolitan or rural, and beyond, the ability to tailor solutions for an array of issues and areas is necessary for ensuring sustainable health.
Resources
Planning 101 for Health Professionals
State Organizations + Associations
- APA Florida: Florida branch of American Planning Association
- Florida Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council: information on Florida MPOs
- Florida Planning and Zoning Association: resources and information pertaining to zoning and general planning within Florida
- Florida Regional Councils Association partnership of Florida’s regional planning councils, which work to increase community growth, as well as listings for various Florida associations
- 1000 Friends of Florida: advocacy nonprofit which focuses on sustainable, healthy development and communities
National Organizations + Associations
- American Planning Association: professional association for planners within the U.S.
Essays & Overviews
- Intro to Urban Planning Essay: brief overview of planning within the current context
- Resources for Community Health Planning : collection of resources, including both national and Florida- specific, that outline how best to implement healthy community planning
- Sustainable Urban Development: comprehensive lecture series on sustainable development
- Urban Planning Basics: comprehensive overview of a number of planning concepts, including lectures, photo-series, and an index
- What is City Planning? overview of planning from multiple professional viewpoints, along with supplemental resources
- WHO Healthy Urban Planning: introductory resource for healthy planning, along with supplemental links and resources
Reports & Surveys
- APA Planning & Community Health Research Center Comprehensive Planning for Public Health (survey report): report which details how communities are addressing public health within their comprehensive plans and communities at large
- Introduction to Multi-modal Transportation Planning: report detailing various modes of transportation, including definitions and comparisons between modes
- WHO Healthy Cities + the City Planning Process: report detailing the links between health and planning, and the importance of each
Public Health 101 for Planners
What is Public Health? And What are its Concepts?
- CDC 10 Concepts of Public Health: summarizes the public health concepts each community should address
- Examples of Completed HIAs: examples of completed Health Impact Assessments from various communities and for a number of contexts
- Florida Department of Health Impact Assessment: report on Florida’s use of HIAs, in comparison with other regions
- Resources for Community Health Planning: general overview and links to helpful resources and Florida-specific health organization
- What is Public Health? American Public Health Association page containing information, resources, and links
State Organizations
- Florida Department of Health: main overview of health-related information and initiatives within the state of Florida
- Florida Health State Agencies: comprehensive overview and links to more specific Florida health agencies
- Florida Health Organizations: detailed list of associations and alliances within Florida, spanning organizations for infectious diseases, youth services, and food systems and nutrition
National + International Resources Resources
- AARP: interest and advocacy group for America’s elderly
- CDC: homepage for the nation’s leading health institute
- CDC CHANGE Tool (health assessment + tracking tool): report and tool designed to help communities plan and implement health changes and programs
- CDC Different Types of Health Assessments: comprehensive overview of what HIAs are, and their function
- CDC Health Impact Assessment: comprehensive overview of HIAs, as well as supplemental resources
- National Association of County and City Health Officials: advocacy group for local health officials and community health efforts
- World Health Organization: United Nations global health organization
Public Health Opportunities
- Florida Public Health Priorities + Concerns: Florida-specific health concerns with supplemental links
- Introduction to Public Health Concepts: general overview of health concepts, as well as how to interpret data
- Public Health Online (state health resource links): Florida-specific health links
- State Health Themes + Strengths: short report on Florida’s health weaknesses and strengths
Healthy Communities
Associations & Organizations
- Design for Walkability: organization that focuses on retrofitting spaces for greater walkability
- Florida Association of Community Health Centers: resources and general guide to Florida’s community health centers
- National Association of Community Health Centers: nation-wide comprehensive resource and guide to community health centers
- National Farm to School Network: national organization focused on farm to school initiatives to provide fresh food to students
- Safe Mobility for Life: statewide coalition which focuses on the various transportation needs of Florida’s elderly drivers
- Society for Public Health: non-profit organization composed of health professionals and students that focuses on dispersing health education and overcoming health disparities
- Southern Health Association: regional public health association focusing on the improvement of public health knowledge and practices within the Southeast
How-to’s & Instruction Manuals
- Creating Active Communities through the Built Environment: comprehensive overview and resources for improving citizen health and activity levels within the build environment
- Creating Walkable + Bikeable Communities: detailed user guide for implementing non-motorized forms of transportation in communities
- Starting a Community Garden: brief overview of starting a smaller community garden, as well as supplemental tips and resources
- Steps to Building a Successful Bicycle Program: basic overview on encouraging workplace cycling
General Information & Resources
- AARP Livable Communities: Extensive source, including toolkits, resources, and newsletter on creating communities that foster greater quality of life and health
- Bicycle Friendly Communities (general info): League of American Bicyclists organization page, which includes databases, extensive resources, and information on creating cyclist-friendly communities
- CDC Healthy Aging + the Built Environment: comprehensive overview of resources for healthy aging and how to implement these practices within communities
- Community Food Systems (general info + resources): USDA site which includes extensive resources, databases, and state contacts to foster community community gardens and food initiatives
- Florida State + Community Reports: state-wide county strategic plans
- NRPA Community and Home Gardening: extensive collection of sources, including planting calendars, databases, tips, and toolkits
- Plan4Health Arkansas: Training Local Leaders: ideas and resources from the Plan4Health Arkansas section
- Resources for Community Health Planning: resources for improving community health within Florida, including toolkits, data, and programs
- UF Healthstreet (resources + research): community engagement program which focuses on health research and implementation
Healthy Plans & Best Practices
American Planning Association
- APA Healthy Planning Comprehensive Public Health Plan (evaluation reports): comprehensive overview of sustainable public health community planning
- APA Healthy Plan Making Case Studies and Recommendations: case study analysis and recommendations
- APA Metrics for Planning Healthy Communities: toolkit for implementing healthy practices into community planning
- APA Planning & Zoning for Health in the Built Environment (Info Packet): info packet containing resources pertaining to healthy planning
- APA Planning + Community Health Center (general info + links): comprehensive overview of healthy planning, containing links and resources
- APA Planning & Community Health Research Center Comprehensive Planning for Public Health (survey report): report that highlights how best to integrate health with comprehensive planning
CDC
- CDC Best Practices for Community Health Assessment: framework and toolkit for identifying problems within the health of communities, and implementing new practices
- CDC Training Framework for Public Health and Planning: toolkit which provides a framework for integrating planning and public health professional work in to communities
Community and Health Plans
- Alachua County Health Element: comprehensive overview of the public health goals and implementation plans of the Gainesville area
- Florida State Health Improvement Plan: Florida-specific plan for implementing various health improvement plans
- Hillsborough 2040 Plan (Imagine Hillsborough): Award-winning comprehensive plan for the Tampa metropolitan area, which includes an extensive section on public health, as well as more general integrative approaches for community health
- Miami-Dade Health Element: comprehensive overview of the public health goals and implementation plans of the Miami-Dade area
Toolkits & Resources
- Aging in Place: A Toolkit for Local Governments (AARP): toolkit that advises how local governments can best accommodate aging populations
- Developing a State Health Improvement Plan: comprehensive toolkit for various stakeholders that recommends various health improvements on a state-wide level
- Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking: data sets and disease and public health tracker focused on environmental health problems
- Florida Health Charts: Florida assessments, resources, and indicators for a variety of health issues and statistics
- Healthy Communities (Comprehensive Plan Assessment Tool): checklist and toolkit for incorporating walkable development into communities
- NACDD Walkability Action Institute (project resource): comprehensive overview of program for incorporating non-motorized forms of transportation development into communities
- WHO Ageing: comprehensive overview and collection of resources, as well as updates on initiatives on healthy aging and living
Outreach and Information Sharing
- Build Healthy Places: network and monthly newsletter focused on fostering health within vulnerable populations and lower socioeconomic communities
- Florida Community Health Assessment Resource Tool Set (CHARTS): state-wide tool-set and resource including maps, data sets, and community profiles
- Health Resources + Services Administration: Network connecting populations to various health needs and data, with particular focus on primary care, as well as those living with HIV/AIDS, pregnant women, and mothers
- NACCHO Land Use + Public Health Collaboration Flowchart: general flowchart which outlines the collaborative chain between land use and public health planning
- Public Health Newswire: public health information and newsletter
Rural Communities
- Health Resources + Services Administration: resources useful for rural communities, including hotlines and policy information
- National Rural Health Resource Center: news and information, including health and policy information
- Rural Health + Transportation: the National Council on Aging’s presentation on transportation and planning in general within rural communities
Books 
Healthy City Planning: From Neighbourhood to National Health Equity (Corburn): Looks at the history and current status of urban public health through various frames and case studies
Toward the Healthy City: People, Places, and the Politics of Urban Planning (Corburn): Presents healthy community frameworks and examples of collaborative efforts in a number of cities
Making Healthy Places: Designing and Building for Health, Well-being, and Sustainability (Dannenberg, et al., editors): Focuses on the built environment and design, and their effects on communities
Cities and the Health of the Public (Freudenberg, et al., editors.): Compendium of essays which focus on urban living and health (both historical and contemporary), mainly in the U.S.
Urban Sprawl and Public Health: Designing, Planning, and Building Healthy Communities (Frumkin, et al.): Examines how the built environment, and continual growth affects citizen’s health and well-being
Health Program Planning and Evaluation: A Practical, Systematic Approach for Community Health (Issel): Takes a practical and systematic approach to implementing policy changes and community health programs
Megacities & Global Health (Khan, et al): Offers policy prescriptions and advice for the continuing improvement of health and well-being within urban environments
Healthy Cities: The Intersection of Urban Planning, Law, and Health (Kushner): Offers background and recommendations on the delivery of healthcare within communities through a legal framework
Healthy Cities: The Theory, Policy, and Practice of Value-Based Urban Planning (Leeuw, Simmons, editors): Discusses the concept of “urban governance” and how interactions between stakeholders, and taking into account various socioeconomic factors can influence health
Building American Public Health: Urban Planning, Architecture, and the Quest for Better Health in the United States (Lopez): A historical overview of urban planning and health reformation efforts within the US, and how the two fields continue to interact
The Built Environment and Public Health (Lopez): Information on the built environment, and policy recommendations and best practices for communities
Healthy & Safe Homes: Research, Practice, & Policy (Morley, et al., editors): Takes a smaller scale approach to creating healthy environments, examining how one’s own home can affect overall well-being
Healthy Cities: Public Health through Urban Planning (Sarkar, et al.): An examination of, and how-to for creating healthy communities within the diverse context of health determinants in cities
Dying and Living in the Neighborhood: A Street-Level View of America’s Healthcare Promise (Singh, MD, PhD): Examines how the current U.S. healthcare system is performing, especially within urban environments
Urban Health: Global Perspectives (Vlahov, et al.): Outlines a number of problems facing urban areas, and how best to solve them