The health impacts of park, trail and green space planning in the west side of Greenville are better understood as a result of a comprehensive community process led by the South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health (IMPH).

In March of 2012, the South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health (IMPH) was awarded one of two national demonstration grants by the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) with support from the Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, to conduct a comprehensive HIA. IMPH is experienced as a neutral convener and has expertise in the HIA process and its components, including primary research and translating research findings for analysis. The west side HIA is the second HIA to be performed in South Carolina; IMPH also facilitated the first, which examined the health impacts of a proposed road re-design in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Download a copy of  “A Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of a Proposed ‘Road Diet’ and Re-Striping Project on Daniel Morgan Avenue.”

The project’s Advisory Committee concluded that the park has the potential to increase physical activity, leading to an improvement in an individual’s mental and physical well-being and addressing the high obesity and chronic disease rates in the community. They also suggest that the proposed park would increase social cohesion among residents by providing a venue for residents to gather. The HIA demonstrates the potential for changes in community and family economic stability and an opportunity to increase access to healthy food (for example, by including a community garden and/or farmer’s market in the park).

For more information, contact
Maya Pack
[email protected]