• Editor’s Note: This article was written by Aliza Norcross, Project Associate, Planning and Community Health Center.

The Kane County Planning Cooperative received a 2016 National Planning Achievement Award for Best Practice for its work to implement the Kane County 2040 Plan “Healthy People, Healthy Living, Healthy Communities.”

Karl Schmidt, American Planning Association director of membership, was on hand Tuesday to present the award to Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen as well as department heads and County Board members who chaired the committees that were involved in the planning process.

Among those departments are the Kane County Division of Transportation headed by Carl Schoedel, the Kane County Health Department headed by Barb Jeffers and the Kane County Development and Community Services Department headed by Mark VanKerkhoff.

Recognition also was shared Tuesday by Public Health Committee Chair Dr. Monica Silva, Development Committee Chair Kurt Kojzarek and Transportation Committee Chair Drew Frasz.

“This kind of recognition happens so often in Kane County that it almost becomes a monthly event,” Frasz said. “But I can tell you, I never get tired of saying that Kane County is a national role model.”

Kane County is one of the national Plan4Health coalition’s partners, working to improve access to healthy food in the community. The Kane County Plan4Health coalition members hosted a Sunday National Planning Conference session in Phoenix focused on their food hub feasibility study.

As the fifth-largest county in Illinois, Kane County has both an urban corridor and a rural community. Despite the large agricultural presence, only 6 percent of produce consumed in Illinois is local. Members of the Kane County Plan4Health coalition have been working to address this for the past few years, and the Plan4Health grant has enabled them to continue moving the work forward and increase their focus on equity in access to nutritious food.

Learn more about the Kane County Plan4Health coalition in this Plan4Health blog post and watch a video of coalition member Matt Tansley discussing how Plan4health is increasing access to nutritious food in the community.

This post was originally posted on APA’s blog.

About the Kane County Planning Cooperative

Image: Community garden in Kane County. Photo courtesy Kane County Plan4Health coalition.

The Kane County (Illinois) Planning Cooperative seeks to expand and build partnerships beyond geographic borders to address inactivity and unhealthy diets by integrating health, transportation, and land use planning efforts. Strategies include advancing leadership, conducting food feasibility studies, implementing the Fit Kids plan, and assisting local governments with walkability studies in specific at-risk neighborhoods. Subscribe to the newsletter to stay current on what’s happening in our community.

Read More

• Kane County Planning Cooperative receives grant funding from the American Planning Association to combat chronic disease
• Hundreds Gather for Kane County Leader’s Summit in St. Charles
• Sparkler Award Honors Kane County Health Department Partners
• Photo Story: Kane County Leader’s Summit a “Home Run”
• Farmer’s Markets and Food Hubs: Healthy Food in Kane County