Best Practices in Building Healthy Communities
Grow Smart RI is pleased to offer a detailed presentation on Best Practices in Building Healthy Communities. The presentation is funded by a Grant from the RI Department of Health and was created by William Schechter, a second year graduate student at Tufts University studying urban planning, in consultation with Scott Wolf, Executive Director of Grow Smart RI.
Completed in September of 2025, it is an adaptation of a related report developed through collaboration between Grow Smart RI and the Rhode Island Department of Health in October 2024. Special thanks go to Tao Ocean Luo, a recent graduate of the Brown School of Public Health, who conducted thorough research and played a large role in writing the final report.
This presentation examines best practices nationally in built environment and public health partnerships, and highlights comparable partnerships in RI. Our lists of comparable RI partnerships are representative of this kind of successful activity within RI, but are not exhaustive.
We analyze keys to success, as well as potential barriers, and highlight the value of evidence-based decision making for those in planning, public health, and policy-making.
Our presentation features municipal case studies from 7 different communities representing parts of the Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and Southwest.
State Case Studies are also featured, covering partnerships in Colorado, Massachusetts, Oregon and Utah.
Key Findings Include:
- Importance of multi-sector partnerships and an equity focus
- Benefits of widespread use of grassroots engagement and Program self-assessment
- Program success benefits from setting modest targets within budgetary constraints.
Key Conclusions:
- Examining the social determinants of health aids in creating public health-enhancing programs.
- Because the link between the built environment and public health is strong, targeted programs can lead to long-term health improvements.
- Projects that work at the intersection of multiple policy topics, such as transportation, food access and land use reform, can lead to the greatest benefit.
Our intent is for this presentation and associated materials to be an effective resource for those in Rhode Island and elsewhere seeking to establish, promote, and implement effective public health enhancing built environment reforms. We intend to make ourselves available, schedule and bandwidth permitting, to show and discuss this presentation for various gatherings of interested parties/community groups.
Here is a link to the full Presentation/Slide Show
Spreadsheet with further information on the Presentation’s case studies can be found here
Interactive Map pinpointing location of each highlighted case study can be found here