On June 2, our Office of Environmental Health sponsored a Land Recycling and New Tools for Creating Healthier Communities and Economic Growth workshop at the Flinn Foundation in Phoenix. The primary focus of the workshop was on how to improve community health through the reuse or redevelopment of property to reduce exposure to environmental contaminants, increase access to healthy food, and increase access to healthcare.

The workshop included presentations from various stakeholders that covered topics such as using a community Action Model developed by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, finding state and federal funding that communities can use for the redevelopment of Brownfield and land reuse sites, improving access to healthy food and healthcare, school gardens, and learning about health fields and health hubs.

Attendees present at the workshop included members from the development community and representatives from a wide variety of government and non-profit organizations, including our Bureau of Nutrition and Physical Activity, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Vitalyst Health Foundation, Arizona Alliance for Livable Communities, and many others.

Two additional workshops are planned for the Northern and Southern regions of our state in August and September, respectively. Please contact the Office of Environmental Health if you would like to receive more information about the upcoming workshops.