What makes a community healthy?
It isn’t just one thing. Rather, it’s a mix of things in our daily lives—where we live, learn, work, play, and connect with friends and family—that creates a place where everyone from babies to grandmas can thrive.
Healthy communities have decent and affordable housing. Quality education is available in pre-schools and primary schools. There are jobs, and they pay enough to meet your needs. It is easy to get nourishing food. There are trees and green space with clean air. There is a sense of safety and security. People help each other in challenging times and work together to support the community.
Whether or not a community has these things drives the choices people can make about their own personal health. It takes all of these pieces—like threads of a tapestry—to make a healthy community.
Explore some of the threads that contribute to health in our three DIP-IN communities.
Start by clicking on the photo that interests you the most. These communities are focusing on continuing to build and sustain a place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Check back every once in a while to see what changes have happened!
To learn a bit more about how social factors affect health, also known as the “social determinants of health,” watch this short video.
The Northeast community is east of Fall Creek and the Indiana State Fairgrounds. It is where residents of Oxford, Keystone-Millersville and Arlington Woods neighborhoods call home. This community is home to the Marion County Public Health Department and George Washington Park, the former home of the Washington Park Children’s Zoo.
The Near West community is located along the banks of the White River and is just minutes from the center of downtown Indianapolis. It is home to Haughville, Hawthorne, Stringtown, and We Care neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are diverse and historically distinct. With a long history of welcoming immigrants and diversity, Near West was the city’s first suburb.