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East Lansing’s Planning and Zoning Department is organizing three distinct events to engage with residents and address public health concerns. All events are free and require prior registration.
On Monday, July 15, the day will begin with an 11:30 a.m. discussion panel at the Hannah Community Center. The panel will feature subject matter experts from Clinton and Ingham Counties, along with representatives from the Michigan Public Health Institute.
Landon Bartley, the principal planner for East Lansing, said the discussion will highlight major public health concerns and priorities from the experts’ perspectives.
The second event of the day is a Q&A session at 1 p.m. in the community center, geared towards East Lansing’s senior community. Bartley said this session’s focus will relate to “aging in place,” or the idea that communities should support residents through all stages of life.
“That’s really the idea of aging in place, you’re not having to uproot yourself when you’re getting older,” Bartley said. “Rather, you still have the same amenities and same quality of life that you’ve been able to enjoy your whole life.”
The day will conclude with a workshop, titled “The Bigger Picture in Focus: A Public Health Workshop,” at the Patriarche Park pavilion at 960 Alton Rd. Officials say the workshop is intended to be a collaborative effort between public health professionals and concerned residents, to incorporate equitable public health practices into East Lansing’s future planning.
Bartley said the inspiration for these events stemmed from community outreach efforts that began last year.
“We found that the most important planning priorities for the city, the top three things that floated to the most important level, were public health, climate change and housing, all of those under a lens of social equity,” Bartley said. “We want to make sure that the public health outcomes are equitable.”
Bartley explained the city has hosted monthly events to address concerns raised by the public. He said the city’s efforts coincide with updating East Lansing’s master plan, which will guide land use planning in the city for the next two decades.
“We know that there are connections between public health and good urban planning,” Bartley said. “And we know the land use decisions that we make, through planning and development processes, can have significant impacts on our overall quality of life and public health in the community.”
Bartley said the events welcome all ages and will provide light beverages and snacks.
To register or learn more about the public health day, you can do so here.