Date/Time
Date(s) - February 7, 2014 - February 8, 2014
9:00 am - 3:45 pm
The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen, Interior Health, and Okanagan Similkameen Healthy Living Coalition are pleased to invite regional representatives to this exciting learning opportunity offered by PlanH that focuses on WHY to integrate health into sustainability planning processes and projects, and HOW local governments and community partners can do this.
This is a pilot workshop, which will be offered in regions throughout BC later this year. As a unique opportunity for communities within the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen, this workshop is being offered free of charge.
What is this workshop about?
Many people working in both health and local government sectors would agree there is a clear connection between community planning objectives related to sustainability and community health and well-being. So how can we more explicitly integrate health and well-being into sustainability planning to strengthen outcomes and support for these plans? We know that communities want conditions that foster health and well-being. But what does that mean, and how do local governments and partners actually DO it?
We invite you to bring current (or upcoming) sustainability plan examples and real challenges to the workshop table so that we can work together on why and how health can be integrated into YOUR plans and projects. The workshop will offer lots of interactive and learning tailored to your interests and needs, and a working session to roll up our sleeves and gain experience integrating health into community sustainability plans and projects! Topics at the workshop may include:
- Healthy community design
- Healthy transportation
- Health and climate change mitigation, adaptation
- Health and housing
- Healthy community engagement for planning
- Inclusive communities
- Access to healthy food
- Healthy natural environment
- Healthy parks and greenspace
Local content about the region:
To ensure this session is practical and relevant, participants will work together on a local case study focused on the development of a Community Plan in your region (Area D1.)
The session will also include a one-hour discussion about playground design a possible exploring the opportunities, partners and next steps for the Okanagan Similkameen Healthy Living Coalition to put this concept into action.
Finding ways to encourage children to engage in physically active play is critical for their health. We invest significant resources in parks and playgrounds but they may not be achieving their potential to stimulate children of all ages to be active. Dr. Stephen Berg, a UBC professor and leading authority on playground design, and Mark Holland, a progressive developer, will share information on playground design and discuss the launch of a new health constellation in the Okanagan Similkameen region to create the region’s healthiest parks and playgrounds.
Join us to explore these questions and more:
• How can sustainability planning improve the health outcomes and well-being of all people in our communities, including those most vulnerable?
• Does sustainability planning = health planning? Or, do they have parallel and complementary objectives? How are sustainability planning and planning for healthy communities connecting in YOUR world?
• What are some of the best existing practices and programs that you can tap into … why re-invent the wheel? How can community partners share leadership and work together on this?
• Where can you find distilled health evidence and data, and tools to help you to create more informed sustainability policies?
Who should attend?
This workshop is for local government and regional district staff and elected officials as well as healthy community committee members involved or interested in:
• Policy development
• Social Planning
• Parks and Recreation
• Transportation and infrastructure planning
• Sustainability planning
• Public engagement
• Healthy community development
Health authority representatives will also participate in the workshop, and will be available to assist with locally relevant health data, information, and opportunities.
