Health and Wellbeing in Planning Network launches new Community of Practice

The Health and Wellbeing in Planning Network has announced the official launch of its Community of Practice, a dedicated space for urban planning and public health professionals to collaborate, share knowledge, and drive the integration of health considerations into planning practice.

This new initiative addresses the critical need for breaking down traditional silos between sectors and fostering a more collaborative approach to creating healthy places.

Explaining the need for the Community of Practice, Michael Chang, one of the Network’s founders, said: “For too long, the link between our built environment and public health outcomes has been overlooked, leading to health inequalities and a lack of integrated strategy. This Community of Practice aims to directly tackle that disconnect, providing the tools and network necessary to make healthy places a central goal of all future development and plan making.”

The launch of the Community of Practice was spurred by the insights and demand generated at the Network’s second annual Summer Forum in July. The event, which brought together representatives from NHS organisations, local authorities, consultancy and private developers, underscored the widespread recognition that effective placemaking requires a coordinated, cross-sectoral effort.

The Community of Practice is a network designed to provide a space for professionals to work together on shared challenges. Its core aims are to:

• Build community and capacity: Cultivate a supportive and diverse network to strengthen individual and organisational capabilities in delivering health-promoting environments;
• Share knowledge and drive innovation: Foster continuous learning, evidence sharing, and the development of innovative approaches at the intersection of health and planning;
• Enable systems change: Support the embedding of health as a central tenet of planning processes, policies, and partnerships at all levels.

Bringing together a diverse mix of stakeholders—public health professionals, planning officers, developers, consultants, and policymakers—the Community of Practice creates a space to exchange successful models, co-develop collaborative tools, and build the critical mass needed to shape healthier places for our communities.

The Community of Practice officially launches at the Healthy City Design Congress on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

Beyond the Congress launch, the Network will also be presenting to the RSA Architecture & Urban Planning group later in the month.

To join the Health and Wellbeing in Planning Network and the new Community of Practice, please visit here.

Prior + Partners is proud to support the Health and Wellbeing in Planning Network, founded by Michael Chang, Rachel Flowers, and Gemma McKinnon. The network brings together leading organisations, including OURI Labs, the Quality of Life Foundation, Optimal Cities, and the Town and Country Planning Association, to champion healthy, sustainable environments through planning and placemaking.