I recommend a new book, Designing Healthy Communities, a companion to a public television documentary hosted by Dr. Richard Jackson. Dr. Jackson has been a regular for years at Local Government Commission Conferences and was involved in the Health Element of Richmond Draft General Plan. He is currently Professor and Chair, Environmental Health Sciences and Professor, Institute of the Environment & Sustainability, Urban Planning, at UCLA.
Here’s some information about it.

Book: Designing Healthy Communities  Richard J Jackson with Stacy Sinclair.www.josseybass.com/go/jackson

Excerpts from Public Television Series http://designinghealthycommunities.org.

NY Times article (Jane Brody): http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/30/communities-learn-the-good-life-can-be-a-killer/?scp=4&sq=jane%20brody&st=cse.

Dr. Jackson on the Tavis Smiley Show: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/interviews/dr-richard-jackson-ucla-school-of-public-health/

The Designing Healthy Communities Town Hall Meeting concept: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1MjI2ujU7w&feature=youtu.be

The first local air dates for Designing Health Communities are tonight and next Friday on KQED World.

Feb 10, episodes 1 and 2, 7:00 and 8:00,  repeated, 10:00 and 11:00
Feb 17, episodes 3 and 4, same schedule.

Richmond is mentioned in Segment number 2, “Rebuilding Places in The Heart.”