Shelby County, Tenn. was awarded a $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to prepare the Mid-South Regional Greenprint and Sustainability Plan. The 25-year plan is designed to enhance regional sustainability by establishing a unified vision for a region-wide network of green space areas—a Greenprint—to address long-term housing and land use, resource conservation, environmental protection, accessibility, community health and wellness, transportation alternatives, economic development, neighborhood engagement, and social equity in the Greater Memphis Area.

Planning for the Greenprint was managed by the Memphis & Shelby County Office of Sustainability and was guided by the eight workgroups of the Mid-South Regional Greenprint Consortium of 82 regional public and private stakeholders.

GHPC conducted an HIA to inform decision makers, stakeholders, and community members about the public health implications of green infrastructure planning in the region. HIA recommendations addressed location, design, programming, or many other facets of green infrastructure covered in the final Greenprint Plan and its implementation. The HIA found the Greenprint is most likely to positively impact health by building healthy communities, framing parks and trails as resources for health, and promoting healthy travel behaviors.

Health in all Policies

Research & Evaluation