The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health in broad terms as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” however, it remains unclear how this definition is operationalized in both individual and wider policy decisions. This participatory workshop shares the methodology and results of an ongoing research project investigating how health is defined by both individuals and institutions in New York City neighborhoods. As part of the Introduction to Urban Community Health course at Guttman Community College, CUNY, students have been collecting data on definitions of health, and perceptions of changes regarding those definitions, using free-listing and pile-sorting methodologies across communities throughout the City. Through an interactive engagement with these methodologies, this workshop illuminates the nuances in health definitions in the context of wider health inequalities. It challenges notions of health definitions, promoting equitable student/community conversations and health services.