Report from

Infrastructures for Health

Workshop

29th Feb, 2012

Report prepared by

Galway Healthy Cities Healthy Urban Environment & Design Team

  • Rosie Webb
  • Helen Coleman
  • Fiona Donovan
  • Evelyn Fanning

Introduction

This report provides a summary of the Infrastructure for Health Workshop which was held on February 29, 2012 in GalwayCity. The goal of this workshop was to increase awareness and understanding of healthy urban environments with a particular focus on healthy infrastructure using examples from Ireland and international.

Overview

GalwayCity is a designated WorldHealthOrganizationHealthyCity. This means that Galway as a city, has signed up to implementing the goals and requirement of Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities (Programme (2009-2013)[1]. This includes a commitment to an overall target of health equity in all local policies as well as striving to address three core themes – caring and supportive environments; healthy living; and healthy urban environment and design.

The workshop topic “Infrastructure for Health” was selected as a means of developing capacity in GalwayCity in relation to the whole issue of Healthy Urban Environment & Design. A healthy city offers a physical and built environment that supports health, recreation and well-being, safety, social interaction, easy mobility, a sense of pride and cultural identity and that is accessible to the needs of all its citizens.

The Healthy Urban Environment & Design sub group of the Galway Healthy Cities Project organised the workshop, which is made up of representatives from City Council (Planning, Architecture) and Health (Health Promotion). The target audience (those whom invitations were sent) was a mix of both professionals and policy makers whose works impacts on issues such as housing, planning, transportation, health, community and environment.

Twenty three participants attended from a range of disciplines attended the workshop. A full list is outlined in Appendix 1.

Sector/Department / Number of participants
Recreation & Amenity / 1
Housing / 1
Planning / 6
Architecture / 3
Roads / 1
Transport / 5
Water / 1
Cycling / 1
Health Promotion / 2
Access for all / 1
Director of Services City Council / 1

Content& Messages

The agenda of the day included both presentations and opportunities for discussion through workshops. A copy of the programme is given in Appendix 2. Some of the key messages highlighted at the event through the presentation and discussion include the following

  • The links between health and planning are crucial for sustainable development
  • Green Infrastructure is critical both from an economic perspective as well as a health one
  • Need to remember that we are planning for people “nature for people – people for nature”
  • Important to think about how we organise ourselves and if we can do things better
  • Working together to achieve common goals across departments and sectors enables us to think of things we didn’t think of before

Networking & Information Sharing

Networking opportunities were provided across over break and throughout the workshop. Information was collated on the range of projects that participants were engage in. (Appendix 3)

Evaluation

Participants were invited to complete an evaluation sheet at the end of the workshop (Appendix 4). Overall the evaluation determined that the workshop was successful. Some of the key evaluation findings include the following:

  • All of the participants who completed forms rated the event as good, very good or excellent
  • The Fingal presentation was rated very positively
  • Participants found it informative and were interested in other exploring other issues and provided some suggestions in relation to topics that were relevant to them

Infrastructure for Health Key Objectives

During the workshop participants were asked to identify priority objectives under the heading of Healthy Urban Environment & Design. The following is a summary of this

  • Healthy Transport
  • Healthy Urban Design
  • Creativity & Liveability
  • Healthy Urban Planning
  • Social Cohesion
  • Green Infrastructure
  • Accessibility to good quality facilities

Conclusion

The interest and relevance of the topic and event were demonstrated through the attendance and engagement by participants. The workshop planning group will be meeting to identify next steps for event to promote Healthy Urban Environment and Design in GalwayCity.

Appendix 1:Participants List

Organisation/Agency / Name
GalwayCity Council Recreation & Amenity / Stephen Walsh
GalwayCity Council Housing / Colm O’Riordan
GalwayCity Council Planning / Liam Blake
Diane Egan
John Dooley
Helen Coleman
GalwayCity Council Forward Planning / M Doddy
GalwayCity Council Architecture / Liam Woods
Sinead Burke
Rosie Webb
GalwayCity Council Transport Infrastructure SPC / Mary Francis O’Conghaile
GalwayCity Council Transportation Unit / Cathy Joyce
Lisa Kealy
Martin McElliott
Brian Burke
GalwayCity Council Roads / Frank Snowdon
GalwayCity Council Water / Lieze Fanning
Galway City Council (Director of Services) / Kevin Swift
Access for All / Nollaig McGuiness
Galway Cycling / Shane Folan
HSE Health Promotion / Evelyn Fanning
Galway Healthy Cities Project / Fiona Donovan

Appendix 2: Programme

Infrastructures for Health Workshop

Wednesday, 29th February 2012 (9.30am – 1.00 pm)

Jigsaw venue, Fairgreen Road, Galway

9.30Introductions by Kevin Swift, A/Director of Services for Housing and Environment, Galway City Council

9.40Local Context Rosemarie Webb, SeniorExecutiveArchitectGalwayCity Council

10.00 Discussion

10.25Gerry Clabby, Heritage Officer, Fingal County Council

FingalGreenCity Guidelines and Implementing Green Infrastructure – The Fingal Experience

10.45Discussion

11.00 Coffee

11.15 Elaine Brick, AECOM Consultants

International case studies relating green networks, smarter streetscapes.

11.45Discussion

12.00Workshop - Criteria for Healthy Infrastructure for GalwayCity

1.00Concluding remarks by Kevin Swift A/Director of Services for Housing and Environment, Galway City Council

Appendix 3: Participants Projects List that impact on health

Theme / Project / Aim / Partners
Development Plan / Implementation of GalwayCity Development Plan 2011 – 2017
Assessment of Applications / Provide a healthier city
Facilitate the sustainable development of the city / A range of Departments and the general public
Community / Ardaun Local Area Plan
SEA and other LAPS / Develop city extension – transport / Other departments, County Council
Ecology & Water / Ecological Assessments / Identify high value areas. Promote biodiversity / Other departments
Flood Risk Studies and LAP / Identify areas of flood risk
Guidelines for buildings and land use / Planning, T & I / OPW / Heritage Officer
Food / Lets Get Galway Growing – Community Organic Gardens / Aim to promote healthy eating and provide civic space. Promotion of organic gardens / Galway City Council, Community, VEC, Healthy Cities
Allotments / Provisions and letting of a network facilities across city
Health / Age Friendly / Develop Galway as an age friendly city / Council, NUIG, Healthy Cities, Age Friendly City/County
Healthy Cities / Integrate health consideration into policies and plans / Multiagency Group
Alcohol Action Plan / Development of plan to reduce alcohol related harm in City / Health, Third Level Sector, Council, Gardai Community Forum
Healthy Urban Planning / Promote Urban Health / City Council, SPC etc
Housing / Housing Projects – general
Homezone Guidelines / Develop shared streets. Reduce dominance car transport. Promote shared surfaces / Planning
Unfinished housing Estates / Team Liam, Health & Safety, Transport & Infrastructure, Dept Environment & Housing
Radon Remediation / RPII
Infill Projects and Community Centres / Aim; provision of community facilities and provide specialised housing promoting accessibility / Environment and housing
Grant Schemes / Aim; provision of improved accessibility and energy efficiency housing / Elderly, persons with disabilities
Feasibility Studies – retrofit / Aim: upgrade of derelict / damaged housing / Housing
Lifetime Design / Guidelines for street furniture / Ensure clear pedestrian access
Promote vitality of street
New Cemetery Development / Acquisition and development of new facility
Sustainability / Development Plan / Sustainable development of City
Rec & Amenity
Rec & Amenity / Community Buildings – e.g. Ballinfoile, Cappagh Park / Ballinfoile, CappaghPark
CorribPark / Design and development of sports facilities
Ballyloughan Master Plan / Promotion of additional sporting facilities, coastal paths, cycle ways/beach facilities etc / Partnered with Liam Mellows GAA
Westside Sports Campus / Tendering for design of master plan and phase (1) works to offset impact of Seamus Quirke Rd
Terryland Forest Park / Development of Forest Park / Terryland Forest Park steering committee
Bohermore Dressing Rooms, Cappagh Community Centre
Ballinfoile Community Centre / Development of sporting and community facility, / Architecture, C&E, Environment
Footprints, Buoys / To indicate marker distances / City Council, Sports Partnerships
Transport / Seamus Quirke Road / NUI, Galway, HSE West, Healthy Cities, An Taisce Green Schools
N6 Corridor / NTA, Contractors, the public
Walking & Cycling Strategy / Promote sustainable transport / NTA, DOT, T & I, Statutory bodies, Community Groups, public
Bike Festival / Cycling clubs, shops, Galway County Council, NUI Galway, Failte Ireland West
Bike Rental Initiative / NTA, Local businesses, Sponsors, the public
Boreens, Healthy Infrastructure Greenways
DoughiskaSchool Roads Access / Planning, Department of Education,
TrafficSafetySchemesCladdaghSchool / G.T.U, Local Residents Associations, Dept of Transport on Road Safety Infrastructure
Traffic Management Scheme at Dominick Street & Claddagh area / Pedestrian safety and Cycling safety. Traffic flow information
Pedestrian and Cycling
Safety Projects (Schools) / Schools Boards, users, GTU, Cycling
Improving bus stops infrastructure / Make steps more accessible and visible / Bus Eireann, Local Community, Access for All
Real Time Passenger Information / Passenger information, also timetable as advertising / Bus Eireann, NTA
Gluas / Rapid transport & reduce co2 emission / Business, Education
Hands across the Corrib / Promotion & implementation of public transport as alternative to road building
Transport and Infrastructure sub group of CDB / Implementation and promotion of public transport
Other / Health & SafetyProcedureCity Council / Health and Safety Officer
Architecture / As per policy document / Arts Council – Department of Gaeltacht,Galway County Council, GMIT; Arts / Letterfrack / Technicians, Interdepartmental


Appendix 4:Evaluation form Infrastructures for Health Workshop Feb 29, 2012

Q1. Your overall impression of the Workshop

123√√√√√√4√√√√√5√

PoorFairGoodVery good Excellent

Q2. What I found most helpful about the workshop?

  • Discussion with different disciplines √√√
  • The presentations √√
  • Presentation on Fingal √√
  • All lectures
  • Fingals approach to future planning
  • Identifying opportunities to work together for particular projects
  • Sharing information
  • Diverse discussions
  • Experiences of other places

Q3What I found least helpful about the workshop?

  • Too short
  • All of the aims from the workshop were laudable– some overlap
  • A lot to cover in a short timeframe
  • Cross department interaction

Q4. How could the seminar be improved?

  • Be on a regular basis and be attended by same people
  • Longer workshop
  • Workshop information issued in advance to allow people time to digest and input might be improved
  • More specific topics – hard to cover everything in one session
  • Implementation of change
  • Possibly talk then workshop, then followed by further talk and workshop

Q5. What topics do you think would be useful for future seminars under the theme of Healthy

Urban Environment & Design or other themes?

  • Allotments
  • Play (Children)
  • Good design examples
  • Detailed examples of successful approaches to Green thinking
  • Clarify common objectives which exist interdepartmentally and possible future works
  • Building communities
  • Implementation of change
  • SUDS
  • Promotion of Galway Waterways and Walkways
  • Healthy Urban Planning

Q6. Any other comments/suggestions

  • Very good √√
  • Discussion on appropriate project team structures
  • Well done for organizing this
  • More detail of presentation detail for SPC members
  • Very informative

[1]Phase V (2009-2013) of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network goals and requirement, WHO Regional Officer for Europe 2009.