Health Assessment Lens
A structured tool for evaluating community health prior to any planning or design project.
The Health Assessment Lens is designed to inform designers, planners, and decision-makers of health conditions prior to beginning a project, plan process, or program. The purpose is to identify issues related to health and the built environment in order to inform a health-based approach to design, planning, and decision-making. It continues to be a resource for comprehensive evaluation through the development of a plan or project, and into implementation.
Eight Health Categories
This tool is organized around eight health categories, each addressing a distinct dimension of community wellbeing:
Equity and Justice
Fair distribution of health resources and opportunities across all communities.
Human Wellbeing
Physical, mental, and social health of individuals and families.
Harmony with Nature
Integration of natural systems, green space, and ecological health.
Education and Wellness
Access to health education, wellness facilities, and lifelong learning.
Economic Resiliency
Economic stability, living wages, and access to employment opportunities.
Healthy Homes and Buildings
Indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and safe housing conditions.
Healthy Community
Social cohesion, public safety, and vibrant neighborhood amenities.
Healthy Connections
Mobility, transit access, walkability, and digital connectivity.
How the Lens Works
Each of the eight sections begins with a brief introduction of the health category and then contains a series of detailed questions. The Lens is designed to provide users with a way to easily identify health amenities and gaps within their communities.
The tool has an application for scoping out a plan, project, or program to assist the user in finding specific resources. Scoping refers to the early steps taken to identify why a plan, project, or program is being considered, and identifying the issues or aspects that need to be considered before starting the process.
Additionally, the Lens can be used to assess existing plans and programs, and to inform working plans to better integrate health into decisions and actions. This makes the tool valuable not just at project inception, but throughout the planning and design lifecycle.
Applications for the Health Assessment Lens
Project Scoping
At the earliest stage of a project, use the Lens to identify which health dimensions are most relevant to your project area. The questions under each category prompt evaluation of existing conditions, helping teams understand the community's health profile before committing to a design direction.
Plan Assessment
Apply the Lens to an existing general plan, neighborhood plan, or policy document to identify where health considerations are present, where they are missing, and where targeted revisions would strengthen health outcomes. This audit function is particularly valuable for public agencies updating their comprehensive plans.
Design Evaluation
During schematic design and design development, the Lens provides a structured checklist for ensuring that health-related design strategies — such as access to daylight, walkability, or proximity to green space — are incorporated into the design solution.
Download the Health Assessment Lens
Access the complete standalone PDF tool — free to download and use in your practice.
About This Tool
The Health Assessment Lens was developed by the Health+Design Initiative at the University of Colorado Denver College of Architecture and Planning, with support from the Colorado Health Foundation. It emerged from a multi-year interdisciplinary research and studio series examining health in the built environment, culminating in the Creating Healthy Places Guidebook.
The tool reflects input from graduate students, faculty, and professionals across architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, and public health — making it a truly interdisciplinary resource designed for cross-disciplinary use.
For more information about how the Lens fits into the larger suite of Health+Design Initiative tools, visit the GuideBox page or contact HDI directly through our Contact page.