Public Health
Cut Emissions to Save Lives, If Not the Planet
Even if our warming planet wasn't threatened with environmental catastrophe, the case for reducing fossil-fuel use is an easy one to make. A new study shows that reduced air pollution from cutting emissions would save millions of lives by 2100.
More Physical Activity and Better Diets Leading to Less Teenage Obesity
In another sign that efforts to reduce childhood obesity may be having an impact, a new study published in the journal Pediatrics has found increases in physical activity and the consumption of healthy foods among 11 to 16-year-old Americans.
ASLA Assembles Reservoir of Resources on Health Benefits of Nature
For years, science has been catching up to the intuitive wisdom that spending time in, or adjacent to, nature has physical and mental health benefits. The ASLA has collected a trove of this research in one easy to navigate website.
Philly Swaps Squad Cars for Foot Patrols
Philadelphia's police force has increased the proportion of police on foot in its most violent neighborhoods. Not everyone likes the new presence, but the change has has achieved remarkable reductions in violent crime.
Walking While Distracted: Pedestrian Injuries Rise Amongst Teens
A study finds that 20% of high school students cross the street while being distracted by a digital device.
EPA Move to Monitor Roadway Air Pollution May Have Broad Planning Impacts
With evidence on the harmful health impacts of vehicle emissions increasing, the EPA will begin monitoring pollution levels adjacent to freeways in Los Angeles and more than 100 of America's biggest cities. Experts say the action is long overdue.
Effort to Reduce Food Deserts Finds Spring of Success in Chicago
Chicago has good news to report in its battle to improve access to fresh healthy food. Since Rahm Emanuel became mayor more than two years ago, the number of residents living in food deserts has declined by 21 percent.
New Study: Effects of Obesity Epidemic Much Worse Than Previously Reported
A new study published this week in the American Journal of Public Health links 18.2 percent of premature deaths in the United States between 1986 and 2006 to obesity, a nearly fourfold increase over what had widely been cited.
Bike and Ped Programs Among Bloomberg's Greatest Achievements, Say New Yorkers
In a wide-ranging poll looking back at the 12-year tenure of Mayor Bloomberg, New Yorkers overwhelmingly approved of his bike/ped and public health programs, but found his attempts to reform the city's schools and ban sugary drinks objectionable.
To Control Health Costs, Build Sidewalks
Each month new research emerges linking public health with the built environment. Yet just a small fraction of healthcare spending goes toward reducing our exposure to unhealthy environments. Under the Affordable Care Act, that could soon change.
Rational Fear
Many people believe that cities are dangerous due to exaggerated fears of urban crime. Cities are actually far safer and healthier than suburban and rural locations, and smart growth policies can further enhance their safety and health advantages.
Why Don't We Allow Designers to Create Cites for People?
Cars kill us and drive us crazy; while walking and biking improve our mental and physical health. So why do we design our cities for cars, asks Jeffrey Tumlin.
New Report Quantifies Coal's Role in Reducing Chinese Longevity
An NAS study released July 08 shows that if you live in north of the Huai River in China, you can expect to live about 5.5 years less than those to the south. Air pollution, specifically particulate matter from burning coal, is the primary culprit.
Bloomberg's Newest Health Crusade: Taking the Stairs
Thanks to an executive order issued this week, New York City's government buildings will become another tool in Mayor Michael Bloomberg's multipronged effort to fight obesity.
Focusing a Place-Based Lens on America's Health Disparities
In the U.S., were used to comparing our life expectancies with other countries, says Emily Badger, but in many cities one only needs to travel a mile to see decades of difference in average life spans. Stark new maps make these discrepancies clear.
New Study Shows Human Health Benefits of Soot-Scrubbing Trees
A new study published in the journal Environmental Pollution makes the first conclusive case for the ability of urban foliage to reduce fine particle pollution, reducing breathing problems and saving lives in the process.
What It's Like to be a Child in China's Polluted Cities
Chronic coughs, stuffy noses, and face masks whenever you venture outside. Edward Wong looks at the "hell" that is childhood in China's polluted cities, which is forcing some affluent families to leave, and giving foreigners pause before entering.
Another Reason to Keep Kids Away from Traffic: Cancer
Add cancer to the growing list of ailments being linked to childhood exposure to vehicle emissions, say researchers from UCLA, USC and UC Irvine.
New Study is First to Show that Traffic Pollution Causes Childhood Asthma
While pollution from vehicle exhausts has been known for some time to exacerbate the symptoms of asthma, a new study published in the European Respiratory Journal establishes for the first time the direct causal link between the two.
What Are America's Healthiest Counties?
A new study from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ranks America's healthiest counties. Environment, rather than access to care, is seen as the key element in determining health outcomes.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
