The East Harlem Neighborhood Plan Health Impact Assessment (HIA): Reflections on the Process and Outcomes of Integrating HIA with Community Planning in New York City

Kimberly Libman (Change lab Solutions)
Lindsey Realmuto (New York Academy of Medicine)

The East Harlem Neighborhood Plan HIA was conducted in in response to New York City (NYC) Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Housing New York, which aims to build or preserve 200,000 affordable housing units through mandatory inclusionary housing. In response, local leaders in East Harlem organized a grassroots effort to inform any re-zoning in this community, called the East Harlem Neighborhood Plan (EHNP). The Academy conducted the HIA to model in New York City an internationally recognized tool for city planners that could address the health impacts of zoning and development. The EHNP HIA was conducted to better understand the potential impacts of the EHNP’s recommendations for zoning and housing affordability on community health outcomes. The HIA also aimed to inform Community Board 11 and members of the East Harlem community throughout the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Process. This presentation describes the methodological integration of HIA and this community planning process and reflections about how the HIA impacted the outcomes of this rezoning and contributed to advocacy on increasing community participation in land use planning throughout New York City.