Principles for Building Healthy and Prosperous Communities

The Building Healthy Places Network (BHPN) has released Principles for Building Healthy and Prosperous Communities based on an extensive process of reviewing and synthesizing the values, mission statements, and guiding principles of 35 organizations from across sectors working to improve health and community well being. By identifying common themes, BHPN developed and refined the Principles with the guidance of a National Advisory Council and feedback from a public survey, involving 200 survey respondents and 1800 comments. LISC contributed to this process as well, providing input and feedback on the structure and content.

The Principles are intended to frame and guide efforts across sectors working toward achieving an equitable future where fair opportunity is an outcome for all. As Dr. Douglas Jutte states, “…[W]e think the status quo, where each organization focuses on their narrowly defined issue, isn’t working… we’re lifting up organizations who are collaborating with new partners and improving the health outcomes of communities. We’ve seen how new partnerships between community development organizations and health organizations can make both sides more efficient and effective.”

The five principles of the “Principles for Building Healthy and Prosperous Communities” align directly with LISC’s values as well, and are intended to steer toward health outcomes through a collaborative, equitable process. The steps outline this process in some detail, and define exactly what components are required and impacts should be achieved.  The principles include:  1) Collaborate with the community; 2) Embed equity; 3) Mobilize across sectors; 4) Increase prosperity to improve health; 5) Commit over the long term.

We look forward to hearing how this thematic framing and goal setting takes form in the field and supports the work across the health and community development sectors to address equity and opportunity in neighborhoods across America.