Environmental Health in All Policies

ASTHO has developed a series of transportation, land use, and community design cross-sectoral, evidence-based policy guides. The guides were developed using multiple resources from credible sources that catalogue policies that link transportations and health. Other sources of information for the guide came from feedback from CDC, national transportation experts, ASTHO’s HiAP Steering Committee and Advisory Groups, and ASTHO’s communications team. The guides are organized by broad policy concepts and more specific policy suggestions.

HiAP Introduction 
Health in All Policies (HiAP) can be defined as a collaborative approach that integrates and articulates health considerations into policy making and programming across sectors, and at all levels, to improve the health of all communities and people.

Collaboration 
At the state level, HiAP depends on interagency or cross-sectoral collaboration. Because collaboration is essential for integrating HiAP, strategies for successful collaboration, as well as a sample agenda for a partnering meeting, are included in this guide.

Implementation Strategies 
A comprehensive HiAP approach can include a variety of strategies at different levels and may include some elements of collaboration, education, assessment, consultation, program development, and policy.

Healthy Transportation Resource Guide
The healthy transportation policy concepts included in this HiAP guide have been selected from the following resources based on significant evidence from scientific literature that they are health-supporting. 

Healthy Transportation Introduction
The healthy policy concepts section below lists some high-level, health-promoting strategies. For each concept, you will also find a summary of specific policies and resources that have shown to be health-promoting when they were implemented in various jurisdictions around the country.

• Improving access to public transportation 
  Public transportation systems reduce the need for single occupancy vehicle trips, reduce automobile emissions, increase physical activity, and provide necessary transport access for people with physical, economic or other limitations that impede access to or use of personal vehicles.
• Improving transportation safety 
  Injuries and fatalities due to motor vehicle crashes are a major public health issue. Although significant improvements have been made in the last few decades, much work is left to be done.
• Improving public transportation quality 
  Policies and investments that improve public transportation can be win-win strategies for health and transportation agencies, providing diverse benefits and attracting broad support from a variety of interest groups.
• Promoting transit oriented development 
  Transit-oriented development (TOD) can promote health by reducing transportation costs, creating access to services and jobs, and providing opportunities for physical activity through carefully planned neighborhood design and accessible active transportation options.
• Encouraging shifts from driving to public transportation 
  Policies that support public transportation, walking, and biking—as well as funding to implement these policies—are essential for promoting healthier lifestyles.
• Increasing opportunities for active transportation 
  States can adopt policies and support community design that includes active transportation and ensures access for people with physical, economic or other limitations that impede access.
• Promoting the use of clean energy technology 
  The adoption of emissions control strategies, clean-engine technologies and better fuel efficiency standards has resulted in reduced vehicle emissions.
• Improving air quality and mitigating other sources of pollution 
  Health research has established a strong relationship between air pollution and health effects ranging from respiratory symptoms to the onset and exacerbation of chronic heart and lung diseases.
• Encouraging comprehensive regional planning
  Integrating public health concepts into regional plans is a promising method for ensuring healthy communities.

The development of these resources was supported by the Cooperative Agreement Number EH11-1110 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

ASTHO continues to collect environmental health success stories that highlight the important work that can be achieved through cross-sectoral collaboration. Keeping environmental health programs visible and relevant is a crucial in times of competing interests and limited funding. These success stories also serve as important tool for state environmental health professionals to learn and share best practices with one another.

• Integrating public health and planning in Florida
• Using health impact assessment to accomplish health in all policies in Oregon