North Yahara Future Urban Development Area

In fall 2011, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the Wisconsin Capital Region a $2 million, three-year Sustainable Community Regional Planning Grant (SCRPG), with the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC) serving as the lead agency. Recognizing that regional challenges —healthy environment, mobility, economic opportunities for all, and quality of life— require collaborative and integrated approaches, the SCRPG grant work fosters regional collaboration, conducts planning, and pursues demonstration projects for sustainable communities. One of CARPC's major projects under the grant is Future Urban Development Area (FUDA) planning, which protects vital natural resources, promotes efficient development, and preserves farmland through cooperative, long-term growth planning. FUDA planning also considers other factors, including impacts on natural and built environments; efficient land use, such as urban density; and the ability to provide services to support such planning. The Wisconsin HIA Collaborative conducted a rapid HIA to assess the potential impacts of the FUDA alternative plans, provide recommendations to the community steering committee, and disseminate this project to inform future partnerships between community planners and public health in Wisconsin. The HIA focused on the effects of greater physical activity, especially for aging populations.