HEALTHY BUILT ENVIRONMENTS: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT IN EVIDENCE BASED POLICY MAKING

The built environment is a significant factor influencing human health. The evidence base from which policy makers and practitioners can draw is growing. Nevertheless, effecting change is proving difficult. This is associated with the cross disciplinary nature of the area, the number and breadth of stakeholders involved, and the traditional bureaucratic structures of government. Our paper reports research which investigates these issues. The objectives were to identify key stakeholders engaged in healthy built environment policy development. Further, to elucidate insights into effective partnerships, strategies, tools and policy making for improved collaboration in healthy planning evidence based policy and practice. Sixteen in-depth, semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with built environment and health professionals in New South Wales. Participants included urban planners, social planners, researchers and managers from the government and non-government sectors. Following transcription and analysis of the interview texts, five interrelated themes emerged: Stakeholder Identification, Partnership Enhancement, Policy Evolution, Research Content, and Research Facilitation. Relationship building within and between organisations, together with the evaluation of policy and programs, and effective communication of results, were identified as key strategic directions in enhancing stakeholder engagement. The development of healthy built environments requires improved collaboration and capacity building programs that foster understanding of the health impacts of the built environment within all organisations and the wider community. These strategies, coupled with practical examples of how organisations can value-add to policies and practice, are important steps in effective cross-disciplinary stakeholder engagement to build the evidence base for creating healthier built environments