Richmond, California

A jurisdiction's general plan (or comprehensive plan) is an important statement of its intentions for the future: how and where to grow, what to preserve, and what values undergird the community's vision for itself and the future. General plans serve as the constitution for a city’s overall growth and development over the long term; they define the vision and policy goals for land use, circulation, economic development, housing, and other important issues.

The City of Richmond is looking to its general plan as an important opportunity to improve community health and wellbeing in the years and decades to come. Richmond is undertaking an innovative approach to creating a healthy city by incorporating a health perspective in its general plan update. Richmond is pioneering the creation and implementation of a Community Health and Wellness Element through an interdepartmental, interagency approach.

The framework for Richmond's Community Health and Wellness Element covers 10 issue areas: access to recreational facilities and open spaces; access to healthy foods; availability of local health services; access to daily goods and services; availability of safe and efficient public transit; environmental quality; safe neighborhoods and public spaces; access to affordable housing; availability of jobs; and green and sustainable building practices.

• A copy of Richmond’s draft Health and Wellness Element is available here (pdf). The draft is in revision and is slated for adoption in 2010.
  
• The City of Richmond recently asked PolicyLink to conduct an analysis of the most recent revisions to the Health and Wellness Element. The report is available here and a complete analysis is available here (pdf).

As part of a grant from TCE, PolicyLink is working with Richmond city officials, Contra Costa County Health Services, and other stakeholders to address ten place-based influences of community health through:

• Neighborhood improvement strategies
• Citywide systems and policies
• Community engagement, and
• Data and information systems.

For further information about the project, please contact Jme McLean, jme@policylink.org.