The American Planning Association‘s Planning and Community Health Research Center (PCH) has undertaken significant work in the area of food systems planning. PCH builds upon this work by supporting the research, policy & practice, and education activities of Growing Food Connections, to strengthen local and regional food systems planning in the United States.
David Rouse, AICP
Managing Director, Research and Advisory Services
David is APA’s Managing Director of Research and Advisory Services in Washington, DC. He is responsible for the overall design, direction and management of APA’s research programs, including the National Centers for Planning (Green Communities, Hazards Planning, and Planning and Community Health), the Planning Advisory Service and other initiatives. Trained as both a planner and a landscape architect, David has more than 30 years of private and public sector experience in community planning and design. Prior to joining APA, David was a principal at Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT), a national practice based in Philadelphia. In this capacity, he led WRT’s work on the award-winning Lancaster County, PA Growth Management Plan and Cultivating Community Comprehensive Plan for Union County, PA, as well as other projects addressing food systems and the agricultural economy.
Anna Ricklin
Manager, Planning and Community Health Research Center
Anna first became aware of the importance of the built environment to healthy living when she worked to promote public transit, walking and biking in Portland, Oregon. When she moved to Baltimore, MD for graduate school, Anna discovered that transportation choices and access to services were critical to a high quality of life. She later worked on transit planning and bike projects with the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, and completed a health impact assessment of a future light rail line.
In 2011, Anna joined the American Planning Association as Manager of the Planning and Community Health Research Center with the aim to better integrate health into all aspects of planning practice. She now works with APA members and partners to research and disseminate best practices that benefit public health, including solutions to the obesity crisis, healthcare access and traditional environmental health concerns. Anna has a Master’s of Health Science from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a BA in Anthropology from American University.