Promising Practices
The Promising Practices database informs professionals and community members about documented approaches to improving community health and quality of life.
The ultimate goal is to support the systematic adoption, implementation, and evaluation of successful programs, practices, and policy changes. The database provides carefully reviewed, documented, and ranked practices that range from good ideas to evidence-based practices.
Learn more about the ranking methodology.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Built Environment, Children, Teens, Adults, Women, Men, Older Adults, Families, Urban
Goal: The goal of the Active Design Guidelines is to provide architects and urban designers with tools to create healthier buildings, urban spaces, and outdoor places based on current academic research and best practices.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity
Goal: The goal of this program is to promote healthy eating in lower-income areas of Louiville. The initiative is part of a larger program with the goal of redesigning low-income urban neighborhoods to promote active living.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Older Adults, Adults, Older Adults, Urban
Goal: Shepherd's Center Central is a local leader in the regional effort to ensure that all people can age successfully with dignity, security, and respect.
Impact: In 2016, Adventures in Learning experienced attendance of 80 members per week and offered a total of 520 classes during the four 10-week sessions available.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders, Children, Women, Urban
Goal: The mission of Sheffield Place is "to empower homeless mothers and their children to heal from their trauma and help them become self-sufficient." The goal of the Aftercare program is to provide continuing supportive services once the families have transitioned from the residential program to permanent housing in the community. In this way, the families receive the support they need to maintain or increase income, maintain or improve mental health functioning, and maintain permanent housing.
Impact: This program provides vital supportive services for formerly-homeless families in recovery. Sheffield Place grew from serving just 20 families in 2010 to serving 132 families in 2017 (102 in residential and 30 in aftercare).
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Prevention & Safety, Children, Teens
Goal: The goal of the Alive & Free Prescription is to keep youth unharmed by violence and free from incarceration, and to provide youth with the support and opportunities to build positive lives that contribute to society.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Teens, Adults, Families, Urban
Goal: Atlanta Streets Alive seeks to shift the current car-centric dynamic and replace it with a proactive community that comes together on a regular basis to participate in active transportation, physical activity, cultural and artistic endeavors, and to enjoy our neighborhoods and communities from a different perspective-from the street.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Transportation, Urban
Goal: The goal of the Transportation Justice Working Group is to increase awareness of the relationship between transportation and health.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Diabetes, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The goal of the program is to reduce chronic disease health disparities by making the healthy choice the easy choice.
Impact: The Bayview HEAL Zone has brought together a variety of organizations and supported healthy eating and active living projects in the community.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Women, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: To address the detrimental impact of alcohol on women in the African American community.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Wellness & Lifestyle
Goal: To increase quality of life and longevity among members of a community through community-wide interventions which address community, social network, habitat, and inner self.