Health Impact Assessment (HIA)

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Cannery District Redevelopment

Where we live, work, and play can impact our health as much as the personal choices we make. Health Impact Assessment (HIA) helps people think about health equally with economic, social, and political factors when making decisions about the future of our community.

View the full Cannery Health Impact Assessment Report

If you’d like to know more about the project or have questions, please contact the Health Department at echealth@eauclairecounty.gov or 715-839-4718.

Project Summary: Transforming Eau Claire

In 2015, the Eau Claire City-County Health Department and several community partners received a two-year research grant from the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program. The goal is to better understand how to include health when developing and planning the spaces where we live, work, and play. The partnership is piloting the use of HIA to look at potential positive and negative health impacts of the Cannery Redevelopment.

View the one-page summary of the Transforming Eau Claire project.

Project Partners

Resources and More Information

What is an HIA?

HIA is a tool that identifies and addresses the likely health impacts of a decision or policy that is not directly related to improving health, such as building a major highway or revitalizing a neighborhood. It can help identify unintended risks, reduce unnecessary costs, and find practical solutions that will provide health benefits for the community. The recommendations of an HIA are rooted in scientific reports and studies and incorporate feedback from community members.

View a one-page summary of HIAs

Why complete an HIA?

HIA is a helpful method to involve community members in the decision-making process.

In 2013, the Health Chapter was adopted as part of the city of Eau Claire Comprehensive Plan. The Health Chapter recommends exploring the use of HIA and piloting an HIA on public or private projects. We are working with a team of community members to pilot HIA on the Cannery District redevelopment project.

This pilot HIA will help our community look at how health improvement can be part of making decisions about the growth and development of Eau Claire.

Learn more:

HIA 101

2015 Rapid Health Impact Assessment of Cannery District