Built Environment and Health
The places where we live, learn, work, play, and worship influence how we view and understand our communities, ourselves, and each other. A well-designed built environment can decrease obesity, heart disease, and diabetes rates while increasing physical, mental, and social health and building community resilience. The Tennessee Department of Health recognizes the link between the built environment and public health and supports the creation of healthy built environments to protect, promote, and improve the health and prosperity of all Tennesseans.
TDH has seven regional positions to promote the development of healthy built environments across the state. These Healthy Development Coordinators (HDCs) serve as external-facing positions that engage in cross-sector collaboration to address the social and environmental determinants of health primarily in Tennessee’s rural and suburban areas. Each HDC lives and works in one of the state’s seven health regions, developing relationships and collaborating with a wide range of local stakeholders to prioritize health in decisions related to land use planning, transportation, housing, greenspace, food access, and economic development. The HDCs have a variety of backgrounds and expertise, including public health, urban and regional planning, and outdoor recreation. Contact your local HDC for more information.
An Active Living Workshop is a half day of learning and action planning with elected officials and key community partners with an interest in built environment planning. During the workshop, participants evaluate the health impacts of their current community design and discuss ways to improve it. The agenda includes:
- Active Living Education Session
- Walk Audit
- Mapping of Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement
Upon completion of workshop, the HDC will review the findings from the activities above to create an After Workshop Report with suggested next steps. These workshops are an excellent way to catalyze built environment projects in your community! Click on the map above to learn more about Active Living Workshops conducted throughout the state. If you are interested in hosting or organizing an Active Living Workshop, please contact your local HDC.
Every year, TDH allocates about $860,000 to fund built environment projects that support physical activity, healthy eating, and community resilience. The grant aims to address health disparities and promote inclusivity of individuals of all abilities and backgrounds. Local and State government entities, American Indian tribes, and non-profit entities with 501(c)(3) status are eligible to apply. The grant application period begins in January-February each year. If you would like to receive a notification when the grant opens, please sign up for our Built Environment + Health Newsletter.
This grant has funded a variety of projects, including community plans, playgrounds, parks, greenways, trails, sports facilities, bike infrastructure, and walking tracks. Click the map above to see information about built environment projects funded by the Healthy Built Environments and Project Diabetes grant programs.
- To learn more about a wide variety of funding opportunities, due dates, and eligibility criteria related to creating healthy built environments, check out our Funding Opportunities page.
- For health and built environment guides, transect info sheets, case studies and other built environment resources, check out our Built Environment Resources page.