Community development, planning and partnerships have become important terms in health promotion but, up until now, debate around these concepts have been discussed more in planning science than in public health literature. Roar Amdam draws on theories and new empirical evidence from local, regional and international planning and public health in order to develop a new model for health promotion: empowerment planning.

Much health promotion planning has focused on top-down approaches, and while efforts to be participative are made, it is often without having a clear...