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The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

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Built Environment

Contact the Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention

What is Health and the Built Environment? 

The built environment includes all the spaces in which we live, work, learn, and play. It includes workplaces and housing, businesses and schools, landscapes and infrastructure.

The built environment includes our homes, schools, workplaces, parks/recreation areas, business areas and roads. It extends overhead in the form of electric transmission lines, underground in the form of waste disposal sites and subway trains, and across the country in the form of highways. The built environment encompasses all buildings, spaces and products that are created or modified by people. It impacts indoor and outdoor physical environments (e.g., weather conditions and indoor/outdoor air quality), as well as social environments (e.g., civic participation, community capacity and investment) and subsequently our health and quality of life.

(Source: Am J Public Health. 2003 September; 93(9): 1446–1450.)

Health in All Policies  

Health in All Policies (HiAP) is a collaborative approach that integrates and articulates health considerations into policymaking across sectors to improve the health of all communities and people. HiAP recognizes that health is created by a multitude of factors beyond healthcare and, in many cases, beyond the scope of traditional public health activities. The HiAP approach may also be effective in identifying gaps in evidence and achieving health equity.

The National Prevention Strategy provides a HiAP framework to guide our nation in the most effective and achievable means for improving health and well-being. It integrates recommendations and actions across multiple settings to focus on both increasing the length of people’s lives and ensuring that their lives are healthy and productive. The broad goal of achieving better health has resulted in a call to action across the country that encompasses everything from promoting healthy behaviors to creating environments that make it easier to exercise and access healthy foods.

(Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of the Associate Director for Policy)

 

Florida Department of Health recognizes and assists communities making Health in All Policies an integral part of their comprehensive planning. Each year, FDOH invites communities to share their stories and best practices for a chance to be honored through the Healthy Community Champions Recognition Program.