The Healthy Regions Planning Exchange brings together practitioners, advocates, and community-based representatives to address the structural issues that influence health and equity through regional planning in the United States. The Exchange consists of more than 30 organizations representing 11 regions of the country, and involves a number of events and discussions throughout the year focusing on the role of race and racism in transportation, housing, and the environment.

For two years the participants — from Portland, Oregon to Pine Ridge, South Dakota, New Orleans, Louisiana to Buffalo, New York — have explored how race and racism influences the built environment by way of urban planning. During the second phase of the Planning Exchange, announced in February 2021, the cohorts from each region are advancing strategies to change the built environments in their communities in ways that create better health and financial outcomes for residents.

Participants

Bay Area, CA: SPUR, Urban Habitat
Buffalo, NY: Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transport & Co., PUSH Buffalo
Chicago, IL: Chicago Department of Public Health, Illinois Public Health Institute, Metropolitan Planning Council
Los Angeles, CA: Alliance for Community Transit – LA, County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health, Colectivo Poder Comunitario/Community Power Collective
New Orleans, LA: Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center (LaFHAC), Operation Restoration
New York, NY: Make the Road New York, Regional Plan Association
Pine Ridge Reservation, SD: Thunder Valley CD C
Pittsburgh, PA: Hill District Consensus Group, Pittsburghers for Public Transit
Portland, OR: Multnomah County Health Department
Twin Cities, MN: Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, Frogtown Neighborhood Association, New American Development Center

Research

Investing in Infrastructure for Healthy Communities

Name: Static Interactive
Price range: $

By putting community needs first, we can ensure that federal funding is used to build and restore health equity as well as the nation’s infrastructure.

Pathways to Health Equity

Although it will take years to break down barriers to health equity, real progress is taking place across the United States. These are some of the regions showing the way.

Events & Symposiums

Event Highlight

Infrastructure Equity in Action

In June, 2022 as federal funding for infrastructure begins coming down the pipeline, participants from the Planning Exchange described the steps they’re taking to ensure that infrastructure projects achieve more equitable results than many have in the past.

Speakers

Laura Chu-Wiens: Executive Director, Pittsburghers for Public Transit
Lynn Cuny: Deputy Director, Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation
Odetta Macleish-White: Director, Georgia Initiatives, Center for Community Progress
Charlene McGee: Program Manager, Multnomah County Department of Health
Joo Hee Pomplun: Executive Director, The Alliance for Metropolitan Stability

watch the conversation

Campaign Healthy Regions Planning Exchange Symposium2 Program Cover

Closing Symposium

In March, 2020, the group convened in New Orleans at the Ashe Power House Theater. Cohorts from each region shared their progress from the past year of work and described new challenges ahead.

view the program

Campaign Healthy Regions Second Symposium

Campaign Healthy Regions Planning Exchange Symposium1 Program Cover

Opening Symposium

In April 2019, the group convened at our offices in Manhattan for three days of discussions centered around how community partnerships inform better planning and how race and racism shape planning.

view the program