Public health and economic development; Avenues for collaboration in Allegheny County

Allegheny County has a population of about 1.3 million in 130 municipalities, including Pittsburgh.  But. while Pitts burgh is enjoying gentrification, there are portions of the County with major disadvantage. In 2014, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) began to use a health in all policies approach to improve the health of the County and reach out to develop cross-sectoral collaborations.

Recognizing the role of economic development and land use in community health, ACHD forged a relationship with Allegheny County Economic  Development  (ACED).  ACED had published a large study of active transportation-Active Allegheny-that focused on all forms of active transportation including bike paths, trails, complete streets, etc.  Simultaneously,  ACHD, had launched a health and wellness campaign-Live Well Allegheny- to encourage physical activity and healthy nutrition. These efforts existed in isolation and were not effectively integrated. The time was ripe for collaboration. Together the two departments embarked on a joint health in all policies approach which included: adopting Active Allegheny as a health strategy for municipalities; incorporating health into the comprehensive land use plan; reviewing pertinent data; and adopting health impact assessments for major development.  A number of grants were written to obtain funding for communities to develop active living designs, students were engaged to learn about health impact assessments, and plans were made to incorporate health into the comprehensive land use plan.

This presentation will describe the steps taken to develop a robust health/economic development collaboration towards improving the health of Allegheny County.