Kern County, California is central to America’s agriculture industry, but it’s also home to high rates of poverty and poor health outcomes. Rural areas like Lamont face especially high rates of asthma, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. With support from the Health Impact Project and The California Endowment, the community conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) to inform land use and transportation decisions at the county level.
The assessment helped ensure that the concerns of rural communities were incorporated into the county’s final plan, and residents worked with the county to ensure that recommendations translated into action. As a result, nearly $2 million has been committed to building new sidewalks and other pedestrian improvements in the Lamont neighborhood that will allow increased opportunities for active transportation, like walking and biking.
Learn more about the Health Impact Project here: