Connect, Collaborate, Create; Co-Designing Healthier Communities, A Healthy Ireland Stakeholder Forum on the Built Environment, was held on November 21st 2018, in the National Indoor Arena. The event was organised by the cross-Governmental Implementation Groups overseeing the National Physical Activity Plan and the Obesity Policy and Action Plan.
The Forum brought together those who have a responsibility for planning and developing public spaces with those who have expertise regarding the impacts of the built and natural environments on all aspects of health and well-being, including sport and physical activity, obesity and mental health, with the objective of examining how our physical environment can impact on our collective health.
The format for this event consisted of a number of talks and presentations from many key stakeholders, followed by a workshop and discussion. Written feedback was gathered from all of the groups participating in the workshop and has now been collated. This material is currently being analysed and core points are being identified.
A meeting will be held in the coming weeks between the Department of Health, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to consider the points raised and to identify the next steps in the process, which will include consideration by the two policy implementation oversights groups referred to.
