The Huron County Health Unit is involved in a project with health units across the province aimed at developing healthy communities.
Senior Health Promoter Angela Willert says research has shown that healthy community design can influence lifestyle, behaviour, exposure to environmental contaminants and consequently overall health and quality of life.
She also points out healthy community design includes both the built environment and the natural environment.
“Evidence is saying there are links between healthy community design and the reduction of heart disease and increased physical activity levels," says Willert. "They're speaking around healthy community design impacting crime rates, it also leads to increased road safety and overall community enjoyment.”
Willert says another reason public health is so excited about a healthy community design is what's called upstream work.
"So most of the health care and area focuses on healing people when they get sick but when we talk about healthy community design, it's upstream, it talks about keeping people healthy in the first place,” added Willert.
She recently presented the concept to a meeting of Sustainable Huron and explained the Huron County Health Unit is one of many across the province participating in the research funded through Public Health Ontario.
A report is expected to be completed in two years.
