About Healthy Places

Healthy Places is a $5.8 million project funded by a cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative (CPPW). Funding comes from the Affordable Care Act's Prevention and Public Health Fund. As bona fide agent of the City of Chicago and in partnership with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC) at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago leads Healthy Places. The initiative began in September 2010 and runs through September 2012. The overall goal of Healthy Places is to implement sustainable policy, systems, and environmental changes that address obesity in Chicago by creating healthier environments where Chicagoans live, work, learn, and play. Healthy Places involves many organizations and governmental agencies across Chicago and is an initiative of Healthy Chicago.

Areas of Focus:

• Food Access —Increasing access to fresh and healthy foods though vending, mobile produce carts, community gardens, and corner stores.
  
  
• Safe Walking and Biking —Increasing physical activity and "active transportation" through complete streets designs that accommodate all forms of transportation (including walking and biking) and safe access to parks.
  
  
• Breastfeeding Support —Increasing support for breastfeeding by promoting the adoption of "Baby-Friendly Hospital" recommendations in Chicago hospitals and educating community members about the benefits of breastfeeding.
  
  
• School Environments —Increasing healthy food options and physical activity in schools and in afterschool programs through school wellness policy and after-school program standards.
  
  
• Media and Public Education —Creating awareness of and support for these initiatives though a citywide marketing and media campaign.

The funding for Healthy Places is a portion of $31 million awarded across the country to support public health efforts to reduce obesity and tobacco use, increase physical activity, and improve nutrition. These awards, funded by the Prevention and Public Health Fund included in the 2010 Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' CPPW program administered by the CDC.

Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, administered by the CDC. CPPW is a comprehensive prevention and wellness initiative that aims to reduce chronic diseases related to obesity and tobacco use through policy, systems, and environmental change across cities and regions. Using a prescribed set of evidence-based strategies, CPPW will develop public health policies, strengthen community environments to support health, and establish successful and sustainable interventions over the long term.