In 2017, the Minnesota Chapter of the American Planning Association hired Zan Associates to undertake a research effort called Planning for People which focused on planning for healthy communities. The research involved conducting focus groups and an online survey of planners in Minnesota to solicit opinions, experiences and recommendations for Minnesota planners about the role of planners in healthy communities. Issues that were discussed included health equity and health disparities, the role of health in multiple planning functions, barriers and challenges to integrating health into community planning, and effective verbal and visual messages about health and healthy communities. The goal of the project was to develop messages that would inspire and encourage planners, their managers and their elected officials to make healthy people a priority lens through which all planning decisions are made. The results of the research were documented in a report along with several suggested messages based on findings of the five focus groups and the online survey responses. 

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