Malizia EE. City and regional planning: a primer for public health officials. Am J Health Promotion. 2005; 19(5S): 1-13.
Summary: This article details the basic framework for public planning and explains how public health officials can best influence the planning, information gathering, and design stages of a project.
General Concensus: Student comments reflect the author's thoughts that public health advocates have been quicker to see the connections between the built environment and health. Many public health students felt the author didn't clearly delineate the complexities of planning or emphasize that health should be considered earlier in the process. Planning students had more praise for the article. They recognized that PH should get involved early but admitted that the profit driven development world isn't quick to bring them in without more immediate financial benefits.
Additional Comments:
"I have no background in planning. What struck me most about this paper was the complexity of the system. I had trouble really grasping the process on a first read through." (EPI)
"I liked how the article laid out three concrete sets of tools that can be useful to linking the two fields (GIS, development review checklists, HIA & analysis). At the same time, the article underscored the importance of individual connections and networks as well as the political climate and will for allowing the two fields to work together on public health issues." (UPPA)
"An article on engineering perspectives would be great." (EPI)