b'STRENGTHENING THE MIAMI VALLEY REGIONPlan4Health Releases the Health Environment Assessmentand the Built Environment AssessmentA healthy community does not happen by accident. It requires a comprehensive approach covering all aspects of social, physical, and economic environments. Creating environments that promote healthy behaviors and improve health outcomes in our communities requires collaboration and partnerships between planning and health professionals.Building on work that has beenUnderstand Where We AreHealth Environment Assessment and Built done at the national level throughEnvironment Assessmentthe American Planning AssociationDuring 2022, two assessments were completed: the Health Environment and the American Public HealthAssessment in March and the Built Environment Assessment in October.Association, MVRPC launchedBoth assessments focus on providing information and telling the story of the the PLAN4HealthMiami ValleyMiami Valleys current conditions using interactive maps and infographics.Initiative in the spring of 2021 withAn overview of each assessment is summarized below.a focus on projects and programs intended to: Health Environment Assessment Promote and advocate for HealthThe first project of the PLAN4HealthMiami Valley Initiative was the Healthin All Plans and Policies. Environment Assessment. Using the five domainseconomic stability,Convene and engage partners toeducation access and quality, social and community context, health care access and quality, and neighborhood and built environmentof the Social improve conditions that are knownDeterminants of Health (SDOH) model, the Health Environment Assessment to be key determinants of health. mapped and examined 23 indicators at the neighborhood level. This information was then compiled into domain level indices as well as a SDOHAdvance planning efforts aimed at creating conditions for healthycomposite index of all five domains.people and communities.Built Environment AssessmentFollowing the publication of the Health Environment Assessment, the focus of the PLAN4HealthMiami Valley Initiative shifted to how the health and well-being of the Regions residents can be improved through planning. The Built Environment Assessment examined how communities throughout the Region are developed and if the development is conducive to active living. As part of the assessment, an Active Community Index was developed that examined three domains that are important for active livingland use, pedestrian friendly environment, and activity infrastructure. Identifying Barriers And Opportunities And Building Capacity The PLAN4HealthMiami Valley Initiative has built a network of health oriented organizations and people to identify barriers and opportunities to improving health outcomes throughout the Miami Valley Region. In additionPLAN4Health Workshop, May 17, 2022.MVRPC began a series of interactive workshops in 2022 to convene planners and public health professionals from across the region to discuss ways that these two disciplines can work together to achieve the goal of healthy people and communities in the region.For More InformationTo learn more about the PLAN4HealthMiami Valley Initiative, visit mvrpc.org/regional-planning/plan4health-miami-valley. 17'