Health and Health Equity in Georgia Comprehensive Plans

About this dataset:

Comprehensive planning is a structured process conducted by cities and local governments that guide land use and development decisions. While these plans address social determinants of health (SDOH) such as housing and transportation, the impact of these factors on health and health equity are rarely included. 

In September 2021, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) was selected by the federal Office of Minority Health (OMH) to lead one of six demonstration projects focused on advancing health equity through collaborative policy efforts. Over three years, MSM worked with the City of East Point, Georgia, and community partners to identify and address policies contributing to structural racism and health disparities. East Point’s five-year comprehensive plan update was identified by the community as the most promising policy modification opportunity. To support policymaking decisions to integrate health equity into the plan, MSM conducted a rapid policy surveillance study. Ultimately, East Point adopted health and health equity into its 2022-23 Comprehensive Plan update. 

Recognizing the broader potential of this approach, MSM expanded the study to examine more comprehensive plans across Georgia and track changes over time. This dataset captures terms and provisions related to health, health equity, and SDOH in plans that were in effect between September 30, 2022, and June 11, 2025. Five-year updates across 49 local jurisdictions in Georgia that were published to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) website were included. Additional information on the scope of this study can be found in the research protocol.