Health impact assessment (HIA) is a process whereby the health impacts of a proposed policy or program are systematically evaluated and summarized to inform decision-making. In the fall of 2009, Baltimore, MD released the first draft of the comprehensive modernization of its citywide zoning code, with the hope that the zoning rewrite to be approved by the Baltimore City Council in the second half of 2010. The purpose of this project was to conduct an HIA of the zoning code rewrite in order to maximize the potential for the zoning recode to prevent obesity and other adverse health outcomes and reduce inequities in these outcomes among children and adolescents in Baltimore. This HIA aimed to generate transferable knowledge about how zoning can be used to improve child health in urban environments and how to optimize the utility of HIA's in informing and influencing policy processes. Obesity, crime, safety, and other related outcomes were measured. Specific recommendations to address the key health impacts identified were given to local stakeholders and residents. Additional project information can be found on the UCLA HIA-CLIC Web site.
