In 2017, NRPA joined a group of eight membership organizations to create the Joint Call to Action to Promote Healthy Communities. The Joint Call to Action, sets core values for effective local, state, and regional collaboration across fields to:

  • create and foster partnerships that advance health
  • build an understanding of health data and establishment of measurable health objectives for plans and projects
  • advance policies, programs, and systems that promote community health, well-being and equity
  • communicate the importance of health


Read the Joint Call to Action

The Joint Call to Action signatories include American Institute of Architects, American Planning Association, American Public Health Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Landscape Architects, National Recreation and Park Association, U.S. Green Building Council, and Urban Land Institute.

In 2019, the Joint Call to Action to Promote Healthy Communities published a set of ten conversation guides that highlight successful cross-disciplinary collaborations for healthy, equitable communities. The guides feature case studies from across the country, including California, Colorado, Kentucky, Indiana, and Washington, D.C., and examine the keys to their success as well as lessons learned.  Each guide includes conversational questions that design and planning professionals can use to kick-start collaboration in their community.  

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