BACKGROUND: Residents of many cities lack affordable, quality housing. Economically disadvantaged neighborhoods often have high rates of poverty and crime, few institutions that enhance the quality of its residents' lives, and unsafe environments for walking and other physical activity. Deteriorating housing contributes to asthma-related illness. We describe the redevelopment of High Point, a West Seattle neighborhood, to improve its built environment, increase neighborhood physical activity, and reduce indoor asthma triggers. COMMUNITY CONTEXT: High Point is one of Seattle's most demographically diverse neighborhoods. Prior to redevelopment, it had a distressed infrastructure, rising crime rates, and indoor environments that increased asthma-related illness in children and adolescents. High Point residents and partners developed and implemented a comprehensive redevelopment plan to create a sustainable built environment to increase outdoor physical activity and improve indoor environments. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the High Point redevelopment, organized by the different stages of change in the Community Readiness Model. We also examined the multisector partnerships among government and community groups that contributed to the success of the High Point project. OUTCOME: Overall quality of life for residents improved as a result of neighborhood redevelopment. Physical activity increased, residents reported fewer days of poor physical or mental health, and social connectedness between neighbors grew. Asthma-friendly homes significantly decreased asthma-related illness among children and adolescents. INTERPRETATION: Providing affordable, quality housing to low-income families improved individual and neighborhood quality of life. Efforts to create social change and improve the health outcomes for entire populations are more effective when multiple organizations work together to improve neighborhood health.

Poor people and people of color are more likely to live shorter and sicker lives and are less likely to survive a host of chronic illnesses. Policies and organizational practices that improve the environments in which people live, work, learn, and play can reduce these disparities. Using the World Health Organization's "Call to Action" principles as a discussion framework, we highlight the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health programs that have developed and applied such strategies to address chronic illnesses. Several, in turn, foster health equity.

Diabetes is the leading cause of amputation of the lower limbs. Yet, half of these amputations might be prevented through simple but effective foot care practices. This article describes the progress made in the reduction of lower extremity amputations in people with diabetes by the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Charleston and Georgetown Diabetes Coalition. The coalition's community action plan and interventions were based on an expanded Chronic Care Model that spawned changes in policies, health and education systems, and other community systems for people with diabetes and their support systems.

The knowledge that there is a consistent and powerful association between social factors and health outcomes is not only well-establsihed, but well known for centuries.