500 Cities Conference, Webinar, and Materials

To launch the 500 Cities Project data release, on December 6 and 7, 2016, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) funded and organized an evening reception and day-long conference in Dallas, Texas, cohosted along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the CDC Foundation.

The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the new dataset, explore potential uses, and foster cross-sector collaboration. The 500 Cities data contain estimates for 27 indicators of adult chronic disease, unhealthy behaviors, and preventive care available for the first time at the census- tract level for 500 of the largest cities in United States—at least one per state. The data provide a groundbreaking resource for establishing baseline conditions, advocating for investments in health, and targeting program resources where they are needed most. Over 300 people attended the event in person or online via webcast, representing diverse sectors engaged in health and communities.

To build on the discussion launched at the conference, the Urban Institute wrote a conference brief and guide to engaging your community with local health data. Further, the team hosted a webinar to provide concrete examples of how to host 500 cities events. Joined by Katie Pritchard from Data You Can Use (NNIP partner in Milwaukee), the team discussed national and local data sources and strategies for engaging communities. The team publicized the data as a local resource through an additional blog. To read more about other ways NNIP partners are using the data, visit: http://www.neighborhoodindicators.org/data-source/276.