Humboldt County Healthy Development Measurement Tool
The Humboldt HDMT is a planning tool used to objectively assess and measure the public health impacts of a development project. It is intended as a preliminary survey tool used to help inform decisions rather than a scientific forecasting of impacts. The tool consists of four 'section or 'elements' as the major subject areas. The 'objectives' describe desired outcomes of the planning process. 'Health indicators' are measurable factors used to evaluate a current or proposed development or plan in relation to an objective. The 'development goals' portion of the HDMT provides specific measurable ways to achieve objectives, and is still being developed. Download the Humboldt County Healthy Development Measurement Tool (HDMT) [PDF]. The Humboldt HDMT is modeled after the original HDMT created by San Francisco's Department of Public Health and is "a comprehensive evaluation metric to consider health needs in urban development plans and projects." Learn about the tool on their website.
Humboldt County Health Impact Assessment
Locally, the HDMT has been used to perform a Health Impact Analysis on the alternatives to the Humboldt County General Plan Update. The report, called the Humboldt County General Plan Update Health Impact Assessment chapters are available on our website. The first rural HIA to focus on a General Plan, this effort has provided researched, vetted information to local governments on the healthiest way to develop our County over the next 20 years .Authored by Human Impact Partners, the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Branch, and the Humboldt Partnership for Active Living.
HIA Training Presentation - July 28th, 2010
Noelle Melchizedek, HumPAL Senior Planner, attended a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) training in San Francisco from June 22-25. The comprehensive training was conducted by the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), a leader in the development and application of the Health Impact Assessment. Noelle share what she learned about the HIA process, from initial scoping through evaluating the success of a completed assessment, as well as data collection tools and communication methods. Noelle's presentation was well-attended by HumPAL staf, Public Health staff and officials, planners, and representatives from other community organizations interested in promoting active living and other facets of public health and wellness.
Overview: SFPHD Health Impact Assessment Practitioner's Training; Noelle Melchizedek, HumPAL [PDF]
Defining Healthy Community Design in Humboldt County: A Policy
Charrette
HumPAL hosted an intense, multi-day, multi-disciplinary “Defining Healthy Design in Humboldt County: A Policy Charrette,” an experimental use of charrettes to design and produce a set of active living policy recommendations for local and regional governments that will fit into standard General Plan Element and Regional Transportation Plan formats, including implementation measure examples.
Download the full Policy Charrette Report [PDF 1.9 MB] for the recommendations.
Policy Charrette Presentations
Introduction; Jen Rice, Co-Director of Natural Resources Services Division of Redwood Community Action Agency
Archived Enewsletters
2009
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