The Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida (HPC), in partnership with the War on Poverty (WOP) and the City of Jacksonville Planning and Development Department (COJPDD), is undertaking a Healthy Places Initiative for the Brentwood Community.

 

Through its "Embrace a Healthy Florida" childhood obesity initiative, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Florida is addressing the causes of childhood obesity through community engagement in six communities across Florida and through grants to support promising practices and applied research. Jacksonville was the recipient of an award for this project to assess elements in the built environment that effect health. 

 

 

The project focus is on improving land planning techniques, processes and practices to create healthy environments for our children and facilitate healthier living. The project will explore alternatives or enhancements to current development regulations that are more specific to Brentwood, versus the existing "one-size-fits-all" set of regulations. A conceptual action plan based on a collective community dialogue is one goal of the project with the intent of promoting future infill development that makes economic sense for the neighborhood and enhances the vitality and health of all residents.

 

An efficient use of technical resources and responsible use of citizen time will lead to a successful outcome. A Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a flexible, data-driven approach that identifies the health consequences of new policies and develops strategies to enhance health benefits of a community, while minimizing adverse effects. HIA methods will be used to influence zoning policy relative to urban neighborhoods where obesity and associated chronic disease is disproportionate to other areas within the city. Incorporating public health goals in zoning is a promising practice that has broad implications and will result in a healthier built environment.  

 

Leadership Committee - Convene a committee to oversee project logistics, review direction with consultant team and make administrative recommendations.

 

Technical Advisory Committee - Engage experts in public health, urban planning and design, land use law, engineering, marketing, economy and other government agency representatives to offer technical support as requested.

 

Safe Routes to School - Align with SRTS program for greater impact and community reach.

 

Discovering Brentwood is a collaborative community effort and a true partnership between residents, business and property owners, and government agencies. The following processes will be used throughout the initiative:

 

Social Marketing - Develop a unified message to raise community awareness and encourage participation in the development of a community action plan while demonstrating the positive health outcomes related to a healthy and active community design. Use local news publications and websites to disseminate project updates.

 

Key Informant Interviews - Conduct one-on-one meetings with community stakeholders to include, but not limited to residents, property owners, developers, and government agency representatives.

 

Neighborhood Dialogue - Garner specific insight on topics, recommendations, and geographic perspectives from residents and property owners.

 

 

The map below shows the approximate boundary of the study area.