The Planning Healthy Communities Initiative (PHCI) is a partnership dedicated to promoting the integration of public health impacts into planning and decision-making. PHCI is an initiative of the Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy in collaboration with Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences.
The goal of the PHCI is to build partnerships that enhance opportunities to conduct Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) that inform state, regional and local decisions, so that these decisions result in healthier communities and citizens.
PHCI advances strategies that promote Health in All Policies through:
- Undertaking HIA projects to inform specific decision-making and educate policy makers;
- Conducting outreach and education to practitioners and decision-makers about the value of HIA through conferences, briefings, workshops, and website;
- Developing and delivering training and education through coursework, studio classes, trainings and professional development opportunities;
- Developing a community of HIA practitioners in the U.S. Northeast to ensure performance of high quality HIAs and to facilitate best practices and information sharing;
- Building partnerships and networks among decision-makers, state and local agencies, public health professionals and practitioners;
- Conducting policy analyses to identify opportunities for integration of HIA into policy development and decision-making throughout the region;
- Facilitating research and collection of data that is needed to improve standards of HIA throughout the region.
View/Download: PHCI: Who are we (PDF)
