The University of California at Berkeley Health Impact Group (UCBHIG) is a non-partisan, independent collective that emerged from a graduate seminar on HIA at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health.
Health Impact Assessment (HIA) refers to a set of methods and tools used to answer an important question: how do policies, plans, programs, or projects affect health, health behaviors, and social resources necessary for health? A number of countries and the World Health Organization (WHO) have adopted Health Impact Assessment (HIA) methods to incorporate the consideration of potential health consequences into the review of proposed policies and developments.
The Oak to Ninth area comprises approximately 64 acres of waterfront property owned by the Port of Oakland. According to the City of Oakland, “The proposed project includes up to 3,100 residential units, 200,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, 3,500 structured parking spaces, approximately 29.9 acres of public open space, two renovated marinas, and a wetlands restoration area.” Between February and May of 2006, UCBHIG conducted a HIA analysis of the Oakland Oak to Ninth waterfront development project. The project was chosen due to its large scope and influence on many determinants of human health. UCBHIG members did not receive funding for this assessment nor do any members have economic interests in the outcomes of the Oak to Ninth decision. Several components of the analyses have been communicated to the Oakland City Council and Planning Commission.
Public Review Draft of the Oak to Ninth Avenue Health Impact Assessment (May 30, 2006): [ Comment Period May 31 - June 30, 2006 ]
Executive Summary ES-1 to 8
Chapter 1. Introduction Intro-1 to 6
Chapter 2. Planning Process Analysis PPA-1 to 30
Chapter 3. Parks and Natural Spaces PNS-1 to 12
Chapter 4. Pedestrian Safety PED-1 to 8
Chapter 5. Healthy Housing HH-1 to 17
Chapter 6. Air Quality AQ-1 to 9
Chapter 7. Noise Noise-1 to 6
Entire Public Review Draft HIA
EIR documents for Oak to Ninth, Oakland
Please direct comments and questions on the Oak to Ninth Avenue HIA to ucbhig@gmail.com
UC Berkeley School of Public Health
Fall Semester 2006
3 Units
PUBLIC HEALTH 298-63 CNN 77044
Tentative Location and Time: 1st class meets in University Hall room 440, Weds 12-3pm.
Check website for changes on location and schedule.
UCBHIG Private Wiki Site [ http://ehs.sph.berkeley.edu/china/edmund/hia/wiki/ ]
The goal of this course is to expose students to the practice and potential of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) with a focus on its application to California’s land use and transportation policy making. HIA is an emerging public health practice that aims to estimate the health consequences of public decisions and inform and influence decisions so as to promote societal health resources. HIA encompasses diverse methods, tools, and processes by which the potential health impacts of policies, plans, programs, and projects and policies may be evaluated. Through this course, students review selected HIA case studies and analytic methods for health effects forecasting to understand the potential of HIA as well as the needs and challenges for practice development. As a class project, students also critically evaluated a local, regional, or state policy, project, or plan, identifying health benefits and consequences, potential approaches to quantify or qualify how the project may change health determinants, and recommendations for alternatives or improvements.
Course Objectives:
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Instructors:
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Rajiv Bhatia 415-252-3982 |
Edmund Seto 717 University Hall 510-642-9219 |
Tom Rivard |
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Office Hours:
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Via Appt. |
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Class Format:
Instruction will consist of one three hour of lecture and discussion each week. Assigned exercises will provide hands-on experience with steps and tools in the HIA process.
Final Project:
Each student individually or working in a team will complete one “hand’s on” HIA or component of an HIA as a class project. This HIA would evaluate one or more aspects of a contemporary policy, program, or project and might take one of the following forms: a quantitative or qualitative analysis of a policy, program, or project’s effects on or more health outcomes; a critical analysis of health analysis in an environmental impact report or other policy analysis, an application of the healthy development measurement tool or another similar structured HIA instrument. A typical project report would include a structured outline, introduction/background to the pathways relating how the project can potentially benefit or worsen health, identification of any related health-based standards that should be met or could be used to quantify the impacts of the project, a detailed analysis of the project's specific impact, and suggested steps to ensure improvement in health are met, or actions necessary to mitigate adverse health impacts. Student analysis and findings will be presented orally to the class and as a written report. The deadline for turning in the final project is 2 days after last day of class.
Basis of grading:
Exercises: Class Participation 50%
Project presentation: 15%
Project report: 35%
Web Resources on HIA
Class Lecture and Discussion Schedule
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Class |
Date |
Topic / Speakers/ Objectives |
Readings |
Discussion Questions |
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1 |
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Health Determinants, Social Determinants of Health and Environmental Justice
Rajiv Bhatia
The goal of this week is to define HIA, present its history, and larger global context, present brief examples of how it has been used effectively in policy, describe the focus of this course that deals with policies related to urban growth within California, and present the broader view of a healthy community as described by traditional environmental and social determinants of health. |
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2 |
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Environmental Impact Assessment—a Regulatory Approach
Richard Grassetti
The goal of this week is to describe the current environmental review process within the US. Students will learn the basics about NEPA and CEQA and requirements to conduct health or social analysis. |
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3 |
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Land Use Development in California: Opportunities and Challenges for Public Health Analysis using the CEQA process
Rajiv Bhatia
The goal of this week is to understand and evaluate cases studies that use the regulatory framework of EIA to advance health considerations. |
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4 |
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Social Impact Assessment: A foundation stone for HIA?
Rajiv Bhatia
The goal of this week is to understand Social Impact Assessment and how Health Impact Assessment can learn from and build on this practice. |
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5 |
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Land Use Development in California: An case study of a comprehensive desktop HIA.
Rajiv Bhatia, Edmund Seto, Tom Rivard
The goal of this week is to review the Oak to Ninth HIA which attempted to critically evaluate priority health effects related to the development of a new infill neighborhood.
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6 |
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Modeling Noise and Air Quality Impacts of Land Use and Transportation Plans
Edmund Seto Tom Rivard
The goal of this week is to examine examples of quantitative modeling techniques developed to estimating how land use and community design changes might affect health via changes in vehicle trips. We will review efforts to model air quality, noise impact in an urban area. |
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7 |
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Modeling the Pedestrian Environment: SF Pedestrian Demand Model, and the Pedestrian Environmental Quality Index, and the Pedestrian Injury Regression Model
Cyndy Comerford Rajiv Bhatia
The goal of this week is to examine two examples of quantitative modeling techniques developed to estimate how land use and community design changes might affect pedestrian activity. |
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8 |
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Qualitative Research for HIA
TBD
The goal of this week is to examine examples of qualitative research used within HIA. The Class will also experience a simple structured group dialogue to scope issues for HIA. |
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9 |
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How can HIA serve community voice in planning and policy
Margaret Gordon, West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project Vivian Chang, Asian Pacific Environmental Network
The goal of this week is to engage in a discussion with local advocates on how HIA can serve community environmental justice interests. |
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10 |
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Routes towards institutionalization of HIA
Richard Jackson, UC Berkeley TBD, Boalt School of Law
The goal of this week is to examine and share what we have learned the politics involved with incorporating HIA into policy decision making. |
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11 |
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The Eastern Neighborhood Community Health Impact Assessment: A Case Study multi-stakeholder consensus building planning process
Peter Cohen, Asian Neighborhood Design; April Veneracion, South of Market Community Action Network; and Fernando Marti, Asian Neighborhood Design
The goal of this week is to examine a multi-stakeholder deliberative version of HIA in the U.S.
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12 |
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The Healthy Development Measurement Tool: a comprehensive planning support tool for HIA
Lili Farhang, SFDPH; Rajiv Bhatia
The goal this week will be to review the HDMT, its methodology, and available pilot applications
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13 |
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Review of Class Projects I
The goal of this week is to provide group peer review of student projects. |
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14 |
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Review of Class Projects II
The goal of this week is to provide group peer review of student projects.
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15 |
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Review of Class Projects III
The goal of this week is to provide group peer review of student projects.
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