SACRAMENTO, CA —Assemblyman Mark Leno’s Assembly Bill 1472, which would utilize the expertise of public health practitioners to ensure that our overall health is considered when local governments make land-use planning decisions, was passed by the Assembly.

“Community design decisions have always been in the hands of urban planners, architects and political leaders,” said Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco).  “However, if we are going to triumph over obesity, diabetes, and asthma, we must utilize our public health practitioners who understand the links between those health problems and the design of our communities.”
 
AB 1472, the California Healthy Places Act, would charge the California Department of Public Health with providing technical assistance and grants to local public health agencies and community organizations to evaluate land-use planning decisions.   Currently, public health experts do not have a part in planning decisions, and city and regional planning agencies do not have the resources or expertise to assess the health impacts of planning.  This bill would utilize “Health Impact Assessments,” which are innovative initiatives already created at the local level.

This measure is co-sponsored by the California Pan Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN), Human Impact Partners (HIP) and the Latino Issues Forum and is supported by a broad group of environmental and health advocates, local governments and planning associations.

"We heard from low-income communities of color across the state that we need more resources to build a healthy environment," said Martin Martinez, Policy Director of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN). "With all the talk of health care reform, the state must do its part to prevent disease and address the living conditions that are making us sick."

Traditional standards we’ve used to evaluate the health of our environment are measures of unsafe levels of pollution in the air and water. This legislation would expand this approach by examining how the design of our communities play a role in a number of issues relating to our health, including unsafe exposure to industrial emissions and car exhaust as well as mold and dust in poorly built buildings, lack of opportunities to be physically active, lack of access to affordable healthy food and increasing dependence on cars.

“At a time when California is investing billions of dollars in infrastructure and housing developments, AB 1472 provides innovative strategies to create healthy neighborhoods,” said Leno.

AB 1472 will be heard next in the Senate.