Health Impact Project

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how many communities have struggled to advance health equity—the guiding principle that disparities in health outcomes caused by factors such as race, income, or geography should be addressed and prevented.

The Health Impact Project’s toolkit contains resources that help communities, agencies, and other organizations take action to improve public health. The toolkit offers a collection of health impact assessments, guides, and other research to support policymakers’ efforts to consider health when making decisions across sectors, such as housing, planning, and education.

When it comes to boosting the nation’s focus on health equity in policymaking, leaders in the fields of health impact assessment (HIA) and the Health in All Policies (HiAP) are making advancements to ensure that all people have the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.

Research shows that the design, construction, and operation of public infrastructure—facilities, systems, and structures owned and operated by taxpayers, typically via the government, that are for public use—can affect people’s health.