Wendell Cox discusses the "faulty predictions" of a recent report on the prevalence of asthma in 100 U.S. metropolitan areas.
"It would seem that the risk factors should predict the comparative number of incidents. They do not and by a long shot. If, for example, a score of 1 to 3 is given for each of the three incident categories rates, the worst score would be 9 (the rating is simply, worse than average, average and better than average) and the best score would be 0. The results are considerably different than the more complex index system that includes the risk factors."
"Looking at the list, Atlanta, considered the worst (#1) by AAFA would have a score of 7, not much worse than best (#100) Seattle, which has a score of 6. Perennial urban planning favorite, Portland, ranked in the top quarter by AAFA (#75) actually gets the worst score possible, at 9, along with a number of other areas, along with the urban elite favorites of New York, Boston and Washington. Colorado Springs is rated #95 (6th best) by AAFA, yet would also have the worst possible score in asthma incident factors, at 9, tied with Portland."
FULL STORY: The "Asthma Capitals" Report: On Faulty Predictions and Portland
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
The European Cities That Love E-Scooters — And Those That Don’t
Where they're working, where they're banned, and where they're just as annoying the tourists that use them.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)