Children's Health and the Environment workshop

"Children's Health and the Environment:
International Workshop on Research, Policy and Practice"

The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
June 28 - 30, 2010

An incredible group of speakers from around the world will be coming to London, Ontario, Canada this June to share their latest work and insights related to children's health and the built environment.  Together with these renowned speakers, design and health practitioners, policymakers, academics, health promoters and providers, community service and care providers will have the opportunity to work to identify ways to help make our built environments more conducive to children's health and well-being, including:  policy directions, design and planning solutions, and effective approaches to community collaboration and research.
And don't miss the valuable training sessions being offered the afternoon of June 28th - see the website for full descriptions!
Who should attend?  See www.healthycities.ca  for more details.
Applications for poster presentations are still being accepted.
Registration is now open, and workshop spaces are filling up!  Contact us soon at urban@uwo.ca  for more details, or send in your registration application to reserve your space!  See www.healthycities.ca   for registration forms and/or more information.  Don't delay! Early bird pricing ends May 15th!

Workshop Overview:
The physical environment plays a vital role in child health and development. Safe and sturdy shelter, engaging play spaces, stimulating learning environments, well-connected neighbourhood pathways, vibrant public spaces, clean air and protected natural environments all contribute to the growth, education, and healthy development of children. However, a rapidly expanding body of research suggests that prevailing forms of planning and development are at least partly to blame for rising rates of childhood obesity, respiratory problems, and mental health issues, as well as diminishing physical activity levels, environmental competence, civic engagement, and social interaction.
But how should we work toward creating healthy, supportive environments for children and youth? What is the current state of the evidence? What are the common barriers and facilitators to effectively translating and disseminating research findings to facilitate changes in policy and practice, or to guide interventions?
These are the kinds of questions we will tackle in a two-day workshop at the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada. This event aims to provide an effective forum for knowledge exchange and mobilization among leading researchers, policymakers, and practitioners concerned with healthy environments for children and youth. Workshop attendees will collectively endeavour to identify remaining needs, gaps, and opportunities regarding the current state of knowledge in order to set an agenda for future research and identify pathways to better informing future policies and practices of governments, public agencies, and practitioners.