Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is working with Metropolitan Area Planning Commission and Massachusetts Department of Public Health on a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of planned street improvements to Pleasant Street in Northampton. 

Significant changes are in the works along Pleasant Street. Amtrak service was recently restored to the area. Two significant mixed-use housing projects are in process. The city is taking over a portion of lower Pleasant Street from MassDOT. 

With all of these changes underway, the City of Northampton has decided it is time to make significant streetscape improvements to Pleasant St. The improvements will serve existing residents and travelers and support the redevelopment of the street. The Health Impact Assessment will be conducted in parallel with design work for street reconstruction. 

Based on preliminary work, we expect that the HIA will make specific recommendations that can help shape the design of the streetscape, including sidewalk design, connections to adjacent neighborhoods, and crosswalk siting and design. In addition the HIA may assess the potential health impacts of Low Impact Design stormwater infrastructure and parklets in crosswalk bumpouts. We also expect to examine broader social determinants of health that may have impact on the street's users like, housing availability, or economic opportunity. 

Overall, the HIA will help the city prioritize which aspects of their project deserve the most budgetary and design attention based upon potential health impacts. The HIA will also contribute to long-range planning for revitalization of the Pleasant Street neighborhood.