Planning for Special Populations
When planning for health, special populations often need additional attention and they include children, the elderly, and low-income populations. While environmental justice and universal-design literature is mixed, the following information gives planners a toolkit to help deal with some of these issues.
Design for Health (DFH) Materials
- Children, Health and Planning
- Low Income, Health and Planning
- Seniors, Health and Planning
- Planning Information Sheets
This series give examples of how to incorporate health into policy and planning efforts. Examples of planning for specialized populations can be found within air quality, accessibility, water quality, and environment and housing quality. - Health Impact Assessments
This series offers a variety of HIA tools to identify and evaluate the effects of policies, plans, programs, and design on health. These can be specifically tailored to consider the needs of specialized populations. - Topical Planning Guides
These guides provide information about the following topics: how to finance health and planning initiatives, how to use DFH tools in the participation process, and how to locate research about health topics. - Image Resources
These provide easily accessible photographs to illustrate key health issues.
Web Sites
- Center for Universal Design
This is a collaborative effort between North Carolina State University, the University of Buffalo, and Global Universal Design Educator Network. It is a terrific site on universal design and includes a section of resources. - ADA Standards for Accessible Design
This document sets guidelines for accessibility to places of public accommodation and commercial facilities by individuals with disabilities. - Children's Health Protection
Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), this Web site has a search feature for looking up publications related to where children live, learn, and play. - Age-friendly Built Environments: Opportunities for Local Government
A relevant report of the Australian Local Government Association, this covers topics from pedestrian safety to housing choices. - Aging and the Built Environment
Simon Fraser University Gerontology Research Centre sponsors this Web site that is particularly focused on housing and care environments.
Additional Resources
- People and Participation.net
A terrific resource with a useful process planner linked to a quite lengthy list of participation methods. It is not specifically focused on health but many of the techniques are transferable. You need to register to use a number of features but it is free. - Community Planning.net
Another great resource, this one more design-oriented. I particularly like the methods list at http://www.communityplanning.net/methods/methods.php.
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