Jacksonville Health Zone 1 Community Partnership, Florida

What to know

The goal of the Jacksonville Florida Health Zone 1 Community Partnership was to promote Healthfields through safe reuse of contaminated properties.

Carrots planted by children in a new community garden in Health Zone 1 (Ballogg, 2015)

Jacksonville Health Zone 1 Community Partnership, Florida

Partnership: The Health Zone 1 (HZ1) community partnership promotes Healthfields. The partnership recommends the safe reuse of contaminated properties, increased access to healthy foods and local health care. The partnership also recommends increased access to safe places to play and walk.

Goal: To promote Healthfields through safe reuse of contaminated properties

  • Increased access to healthy foods
  • Safe places to play and walk
  • Local health care services for residents

Community and population:

  • Urban core of Jacksonville (1 of 6 Health Zones established to address health disparities in diverse areas of the county)
  • Range of land uses: City's port; downtown commercial core; surrounding historic homes and residential areas
  • 81% minority population; 31% of Duval County's black population
  • Highest poverty rates in Duval County: 29.6% of the population
  • Negative job growth -2.18%

Environmental concerns‎

Environmental challenges from industrial past


138 land reuse sites including brownfields, waste cleanup sites, 10 former dry cleaner sites


33 Superfund sites


Air quality issues and impaired waterways


Environmental contaminants: Lead, polychlorinated biphenyls, volatile organic compounds, and others

Health concerns‎

Death rates in Duval County higher for blacks than whites


Highest total death rate (1104 per 100,000 population, adjusted for age differences)

Good news!

Assets that can be leveraged to improve quality of life:

  • Land available for gardens and recreational areas
  • Infrastructure available for new development and jobs
  • Community concern and involvement

BROWN assistance and collaboration

  • $150,000 ATSDR grant awarded to Florida Department of Health (FDOH) – Duval for Healthy/Fresh Food Initiative in HZ1; partnerships with Eastside Environmental Coalition (EEC), Sundance Urban Farms, and Groundworks Jacksonville to address disparities in HZ1
  • Laptop donated by FDOH to EEC (funded by Healthy/Fresh Food Initiative in HZ1) allowing increased internet and social media presence and outreach
  • BROWN resources and ATSDR Land Reuse Toolkit used by EEC and FDOH-Duval to expand redevelopment activities and build skills
  • HZ1 BROWN resource guide: Links for technical assistance scholarships, community supported agriculture, and food systems and production
  • soilSHOP event in 2016: Tested 35 samples from 26 yards; lead health education for 72 participants
  • Follow-up soilSHOP event repeated in 2017 and 2018; FDOH-Duval follow-up showing high soil levels at 2 residences
  • 4 community and 4 school gardens created by FDOH-Duval and partners; gardening and environmental education for students and locals
  • Environmental toxicology and risk curriculum created by FDOH-Duval and partners for outreach to residents affected by contamination
  • Resources supporting economic development through land reuse (land banking and site inventory development)
  • ATSDR Site Screening Tool used by FDOH to inventory 138 land reuse sites in Duval County, 100 in HZ1
  • Connection with EEC by 2 Illinois land banks (Cook County and South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association) to discuss forming a land bank
  • $250,000 donation from General Electric to non-profit Jacksonville AGAPE for heart disease screenings for 10,000 residents
  • EEC partnership with the FDOH-Duval and St. Vincent's Mobile Health Care to fund mobile clinic for accessible/affordable health care
  • Local pediatrician planning to site a clinic for children in HZ1
  • BROWN partner outreach resulting in new shared local space with large outdoor area for community events
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Content Source:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry