Within the metropolitan planning field, this document explains how public health must be included into transportation planning at varying levels.

Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and regional councils of governments (COGs) address eight distinct factors in their transportation planning process that include asset management, economic vitality, safety and environmental quality, among others. While these planning factors are mandated by federal transportation law, the challenge that many metropolitan planning organizations and councils of government face is how to address factors that, while not federally mandated, are of interest to their constituents. For example, public health has gained popularity recently and several regions have begun to examine it in their transportation planning process. In order to develop the capacity of metropolitan planning organizations and councils of government to understand and, where appropriate, promote this type of transportation planning, the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) examined how select regions are integrating public health into transportation planning. This report includes a review of current opinion, select examples of metropolitan planning organizations conducting this work, and ways in which metropolitan planning organizations can leverage this concept against other transportation planning activities.

View the document here: Integrating public health and transportation planning