This article discusses how the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association is has focused on improving policies to advance community public health on the state-level and local-level. The Oregon American Planning Association is working with health-related organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and the American Public Health Association, to improve health through planning practices. In Oregon currently, at the state-level, there is limited mention of the built environment’s impact on health. At the local-level, in places like Portland, Multnomah County and Umatilla County have taken the initiative to improve their built environments to include more pedestrian/bike friendly forms of transportation, increase access to local fresh foods while improving their system to connect farmers, and staff more public health professionals on planning projects. It also provides a list of opportunities for other communities to improve their overall equity by improving health outcomes that benefit minorities and low-income families.
