Frequently Asked Questions

Access to open space is often considered an important aspect to supporting human health; however, what measurement tools are available to measure access?

The Metropolitan Design Center worked with the Trust for Public Land to produce a series of maps for the Twin Cities, particularly for disadvantaged groups.

Are the events free and open to the public?

The workshops and plan feedback were free and open to staff of community-funding recipients. These municipalities received funding to address public health issues in their comprehensive plans and ordinances. There was limited space for others interested in attending the workshop portion of the events to learn more about these health and urban-design topics. The events are now over.

Are the presentations from the event series available to the public?

You can access the presentations by clicking on the specific event. Some of the slide presentations are shortened versions due to size limitations.

Can I download the images on your site?

Medium- and high-resolution images can be downloaded for free from the University of Minnesota's Digital Content Library's Metropolitan Design Center collection.

Can I get continuing education credits for attending your events?

It is possible to obtain continuing education credits by self-report.

Can my community use this Web site, if we are not based in Minnesota?

Absolutely! While we were originally based in Minnesota, the resources are intentionally designed to accommodate communities nationwide.

Do I need your permission to use your images?

DFH welcomes use of images and grants limited permission for their use without request; except for publications with circulation over 1,000 copies, publications that include over six images, and uses where royalties are received. Ffor such uses, we ask that our office be contacted for permission terms. In general, we will gladly grant it.

Common uses include: PowerPoint presentations, conferences, student projects, installations, brochures, Web sites, and publications.

As we always grant permission to newspapers using the images, there is no need to ask permission, but please send us a copy.

Do you have any images that showcase some of the planning themes related to human health like farmers' markets, shared streets, or pedestrian and bicycle facilities?

The Resource Library hosts a series of Image Resources and the overarching topics include people on bicycles, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, streets, environment and food, pedestrians, transit, social interaction, and active play and exercise. Each image includes information on how to credit the images.

How do I credit your images?

All uses must include a credit placed on the same page as the image. For images with a Metropolitan Design Center copyright use: “© Regents of the University of Minnesota. Used with permission" For images in the Special Collections whose copyright is held by others use: "©[name of copyright holder]. Used with permission.” When images are used in digital presentations, such as PowerPoint, this credit must appear on the same slide as the image. For all use as part of printed materials, the Design for Health requests two copies of any materials thus produced. For all non-printed uses, please e-mail DFH info@designforhealth.net to inform us of the use.

On all of the downloadable images, there is a reminder to use the credit line and it is easily cropped using Photoshop, or any other image-editing software you prefer.

How is this project different than other health-based and active-living sites?

We are grateful that there are other teams and sites out there who are interested in helping cities become healthier places for everyone. Specifically, our site is intended to be used as a technical resource for comprehensive planning in relation to many elements associated with healthy living (air quality, mental health, physical activity, water quality, social capital, public safety, etc). We offer a Web-based library of model ordinances, comprehensive planning language, operational Health Impact Assessment, and extensive lists of links to existing empirical and quantitative-based research studies. Please check out our Resource Library resources.

The Planning Information Sheets series is divided into health categories and not planning categories. How do I find information about such topics as mixed use, parks, farmers' markets, or pedestrian and bike plans?

A list of planning concepts and tools can be found at the bottom of the page on Planning Information Sheets It is not an exhaustive list; however, it includes many of the more popular planning themes.

There is an overwhelming amount of research that explores the relationship between planning and human health. Often, this research is difficult to interpret in terms of what's good and what's bad. Can you help?

The Resource Library includes Key Questions Research Summaries. These digestible summaries quickly describe what research says and doesn't say about specific health topics like accessibility, air quality, environment and housing, food access, mental health, physical activity, safety, social capital, and water quality.

What is a health impact assessment (HIA)?

An HIA identifies and evaluates the effects of policies, plans, programs, and designs on humans. It comes in a variety of forms from awareness-raising, rapid-assessment methods to more data-intensive approaches. The DFH team has developed three different types of HIAs that target planners. More information is available at Health Impact Assessment.

What is different about Design for Health's HIA series compared to other HIAs?

Our HIA series targets planners by focusing specifically on health issues related to urban and comprehensive planning and plan implementation.

What is the difference between designing healthy cities and designing for sustainability?

A focus on health means a focus on people. Design for sustainability frequently focuses on design with nature. The approaches are very similar, however.

Where can I find examples of how other communities are incorporating health and planning into their plans and plan implementation strategies?

The Resource Library includes Planning Information Sheets and Case Studies. Each series provides numerous examples that your community can use when considering how human health relates to planning processes.


Design for Health (DFH) involves participants from the University of Minnesota, Cornell University, and the University of Colorado.
E-mail: info@designforhealth.net