The Joint Call to Action to Promote Health Communities is a collaboration of eight national organizations in the health, built environment and natural environment spaces aiming to spur their respective members to work together to achieve healthier, more equitable communities. The organizations (American Institute of Architects, American Planning Association, American Public Health Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Landscape Architects, National Recreation and Park Association, U.S. Green Building Council, and Urban Land Institute) all shared a commitment to a common goal, but coordinating—and communicating—towards that end presented several challenges.
After its initial launch, the group turned to Fifth Estate Communications and partner J.J. Hinrichs & Associates to plan and facilitate a two-day strategic planning session, with the two goals of crafting an action plan to guide the coalition’s next steps and creating communication tools for organizations to use with their members. Over the course of interviews with national staff and on-the-ground members and in the planning session itself, Fifth Estate worked to identify common threads, shape messages, and highlight compelling examples of health equity projects in communities across the country. Ultimately, the effort led to a series of vignettes released by JCTA partner organizations demonstrating that change can start with a conversation, and that transformation is possible when partnering across professions.
