Healthy Places, Healthy Regions

The regional Sustainable Communities Strategy planning efforts under way throughout California provide a unique opportunity for infrastructure investments to improve public health, economic vitality, and environmental sustainability.

Because resources are limited, it's important to identify neighborhoods where these investments will do the most to address health inequities and help people lead healthier lifestyles. ChangeLab Solutions partnered with Brian Fulfrost & Associates and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy to identify specific healthy development opportunities in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

This report identifies key Healthy Priority Development Areas: places where creating safer, more walkable, mixed-income neighborhoods can produce the greatest improvement in public health and equity. We developed a set of measurable and quantifiable health equity metrics that were used to create a “HealthScore,” and selected indicators that affect health and are indicative of sustainable community planning. Our purpose was to elevate health and equity priorities on a par with other quantifiable outcomes currently included in the Sustainable Communities Strategy.