New South Wales Healthy Urban Development Online Interactive Checklist

This is a really great piece of work that builds on a Healthy Urban Development guide produced in 2009 (The front cover is shown above. Click here to download the guide.).

The Checklist has  been created for health professionals who can use it to:

• Provide a standardised tool to guide and inform feedback and advice to, for instance, local government and developers on urban development policies and plans
• Evaluate the health aspects of urban developments
• Support engagement between urban planners and developers and health professionals
• Inform others (planners, developers, policy makers) about the range of factors that need to be considered in healthy urban developments.

The relationship between health and urban development is multifaceted. The Checklist is not attempting to address every dimension of healthy urban development and every possible opportunity for participation in the planning and development system. As the Checklist is intended primarily for use by health staff, the focus is on those issues that can be influenced at the regional and local levels.

The Checklist can be used in two ways:

1. As an early or ‘upstream’ participation tool to provide advice or input during the developmental phase of policies, plans or proposals
2. As a feedback mechanism to assist with providing comment on draft or publicly exhibited policies, plans or proposals.

It is considered that the earlier the Checklist can be applied, the more likely it is to be able to effect change.

Pre-checklist activities
Prior to using the Checklist – review the questions and suggestions presented in ‘Understanding the policy, plan or proposal’ and ‘Understanding the community’.

Also consider your objective for providing a response and to whom.
Is it to be an initial snapshot? (quick version)
Is a particular health characteristic of interest and/or concern? (filter version)
Or is it a comprehensive policy, plan or proposal whereby all characteristics of the Checklist need to be considered? (full version)

Register before you start using the Checklist at Checklist, Start Using It and you will be able to save your progress, add comments to the questions and receive the latest news and information of interest via email.

You can also access the written guide who front cover is shown below.