Healthy places

This project, funded by The Health Foundation, will develop long term collaborative relationships between planning and public health in local areas, exploring the different mechanisms for embedding health into the planning process.

Aims

• To advocate for public health to be an important consideration in planning at local and national levels.
• To strengthen partnership working across the planning and public health sectors.
• To facilitate skill development and knowledge exchange between the planning and public health sectors.
• To promote and support enhanced relationships between Directors of Place and Directors of Public Health through sharing evidence and good practice, and engaging in discussion and debate.

What we have done so far

• We have established a project advisory group, chaired by Darrell Gale (Director of Public Health for East Sussex County Council), which is made up of representatives from:
  • Quality of Life Foundation
  • Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT)
  • Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
  • Royal Town and Planning Institute
  • Town and Country Planning Association
• Darrell Gale has given a presentation about our project at Public Health Wales’ Spatial planning, public health and health service policies event in February 2024.
• In March 2024, we held a workshop for Directors of Public Health, their planning colleagues and members of ADEPT, to explore the current relationship between planning and public health professionals and how this could be improved by sharing language between the two professions.
• We have established a Planning and Health Collaborative Group for Directors of Public Health and planning professionals to facilitate closer working and share learning, language and practice. If you are interested in joining the group, please contact us.
• We have produced a resource outlining the various methods for embedding health into the planning process.
• In May 2025, we hosted a Planning and Public Health Masterclass in partnership with Prior + Partners. The session aimed to facilitate and strengthen collaborative relationships around the concept of Healthy Places by bringing together professionals from public health and planning.
• As part of our What Good Looks Like project, we have published What Good Local Spatial Planning for Healthy Places Looks Like with the assistance of Michael Chang (OHID).