Ontario Planners: Vision · Leadership · Great Communities

The Ontario Professional Planners Institute believes that all planners should have a good understanding of public transit and how this impacts the health of communities across this province. This paper is meant to inspire and build a dialogue around public transit ‘made plain’ for planners.

Plain Transit for Planners paper

OPPI calls upon planners, public decision making bodies and the private sector to make healthy community planning a priority. Action is needed to support strong, livable and healthy communities that enhance social well being and are economically sound.

Media Release

Sustainable City Regions in Ontario - A Call to Action

OPPI calls upon planners, citizens and all stakeholders to make healthy community planning, and in particular, planning for healthy food systems, a priority.

Media Release

Planning for Food Systems in Ontario – A Call to Action

The Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI)
calls upon planners, public decision making bodies and the private sector to make healthy community planning a priority.

Media Release

Healthy Communities and Planning for a Sustainable Greater Toronto Area

The Planning By Design handbook is the result of a partnership between the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute. The purpose of this initiative is to share and generate ideas on how places can be planned and designed more sustainably for healthy, active living and to retain and attract residents, investors and visitors.

Summary of Chapters: Chapter 1 introduces the context for health and land use; Chapter 2 discusses key characteristics of sustainable community building; Chapter 3 provides a basic process and a supporting municipal checklist for exploring ideas and opportunities for health-friendly communities; Chapter 4 highlights available sustainable development planning tools; and Chapter 5 showcases best practices in Ontario and other jurisdictions.

InfoSheet in English

InfoSheet in French

Handbook in English

Handbook in French

Presentation

Click here to view the presentation with audio from OPPI's February 18, 2010 webinar

Media Release

The Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) has prepared a Call to Action highlighting and focusing on key issues and concerns that need to be addressed so that Ontario’s planners and communities can respond more effectively to the challenges posed by an aging population.

Press Release

A Call to Action: Planning for Age-Friendly Communities

As part of our ongoing commitment to healthy and sustainable communities, OPPI is a partner in the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Spark Together for Healthy Kids campaign. This Ontario-wide initiative will help to inspire individuals, families, communities, businesses, industry and government to spark collective change – in how we live, how we act, and how we think – to ignite a brighter future for our children.

On May 6th 2009, the official campaign launch was launched in London, Toronto, Ottawa, and Sudbury. Information about the SPARK campaign can be found on the Heart and Stroke web site:

http://www.heartandstroke.on.ca/

We will continue to partner with the Heart and Stroke Foundation on this and other key healthy communities activities. All OPPI members are encouraged to learn more about this initiative.

How to build a better city: It's child's play
Christopher Hume, Urban Affairs Columnist
Toronto Star

There are good reasons to give priority to the needs of children and youth in land-use and transportation planning. The Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) issued today a Call to Action which proposes that Ontario municipalities endorse a set of 21 child and youth friendly land-use and transportation guidelines.

Press Release

A Call to Action: Plan for the Needs of Children and Youth

The Healthy Communities Award, established jointly by OPPI and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, has been created to recognize excellence in creating healthy communities. The Smart Commute Initiative of Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is this year’s recipient, as this project exemplifies the importance of active transportation in healthy communities.

Excellence in Planning Awards

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario

Brochure

Brochure
(printer friendly)

Call to Action

Full Report

Press Release

Backgrounder

Endorsements

PowerPoint

Press Conference 2007 - Healthy Communities

At the Institute's Symposium in 2006, it was clear that OPPI members were committed to creating and fostering healthy communities throughout Ontario, because they recognize how land use planning decisions shape us in ways that we are only just beginning to appreciate - obesity, heart disease, mental health, social isolation, nutrition, and air quality.

In keeping with this commitment, OPPI has prepared a Call to Action and position paper - Healthy Communities, Sustainable Communities focusing on healthy and sustainable communities that emphasizes the importance of urban design, active transportation, and green infrastructure. The paper also explores the links between public health and land use planning and includes strategies for collaborating on tangible actions that result in healthier communities.

OPPI sees this as critical because where we work, live, and play is vitally important to the quality of our lives. Our built environments are not addressing emerging public health issues well and are resulting in a less than optimum human environment. These issues are not minor and for the first time in many decades, our children's life expectancy may not exceed our own. We need to reconsider our built environment expectations to better address emerging public health issues.