What are Healthy Communities?

Healthy communities are places that offer opportunities to maintain a good state of health including physical activity (such as walking) and healthy foods (such as those available at farmer’s markets).

How This Toolkit Came About

The Mission of the Eastern Highlands Health District (EHHD) is to enhance the quality of life in its communities through the prevention of illness, promotion of wellness, and protection of our human environment. In 2015, in partnership with the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association (CCAPA), EHHD was awarded a Plan4Health grant by the American Planning Association (APA) and the American Public Health Association (APHA). The focus of this grant is to support EHHD/CCAPA efforts to increase physical activity and access to healthy foods in the region’s towns by helping them link their planning and public health programs with a focus on healthier communities. 

This toolkit is designed to support the EHHD region towns, as well as any other small, rural towns, in these efforts. The EHHD and its CHART Coalition are actively working to help their communities create places where residents will have more opportunities to be physically active, eat healthy foods, and have fun!