Simon Fraser University’s City Program is offering this two-day intensive course on how to develop the principles and strategies needed to plan healthy communities.
Building on recent work and new research on the relationship between urban design and public health, your instructors will introduce you to the Healthy Built Environment (HBE) Linkages Toolkit and provide guidance on how to develop a health impact assessment.
The course will be interactive, with guest speakers from the Metro Vancouver public health community, but also grounded in the practical demands of local government policy development, design and implementation.
Instructors and Guest Speakers
Neal LaMontagne, adjunct professor, UBC School of Community and Regional Planning
Claire Gram, Population Health Policy and Project Lead, Vancouver Coastal Health
Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, Medical Health Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health
Charito Gailling, Project Manager, BC Centre for Disease Control
Lianne Carley, Vancouver Coastal Health Population Health Team
What will you learn?
The course is intended to educate and inspire, to develop an understanding of the public health implications of policy and design decisions, and to apply a health lens to a broad spectrum of policy and design issues and initiatives.
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Build an evidence-based case for incorporating health into planning and design work
- Identify local needs and opportunities to improve public health outcomes
- Outline and develop a health impact assessment
- Apply strategies to improve local health outcomes and health equity
- Understand the relationships between physical activity, social connectivity, food systems, housing affordability, public space design and public health
- Build partnerships within a community to support planning and design initiatives
- Understand and connect with resources from Regional Health Authorities and the public health sector
How will you learn?
You will learn concepts and skills through the following activities:
- Presentations
- Class discussions
- Case studies
- In-class exercises
Who should take this course?
- City and community planners
- Urban designers
- Social planners
- City councillors and related political decision-makers and advisors
- Anyone interested in improving public health in their community
Textbooks and learning materials
We will provide custom course materials.
Professional development credits
AIBC CES participants, PIBC members and BCSLA members may self-report for continuing education learning unit consideration.
