Wednesday, February 1, 2012

A Syndemic Approach to Healthy Sustainable Cities

Built Environment and Public Health: A Syndemic Perspective (17 page pdf, Michael McGeehin, 4th annual summit of the Research Triangle Environmental Health Collaborative, “Incorporating Public and Environmental Health into Sustainable Solutions”, Nov. 8, 2010)

The focus of today’s review is on a recent urban summit linking the built environment to health and a presentation that shows how a syndemic approach is useful one to identify the links between diseases or ill health and their causes and remedies. Examples from transportation include road design, traffic management and removing barriers for pedestrians and cyclists.



Key Quotes:

“We recommend that in laying out new towns and villages, and in extending those already laid out, ample provision be made for a supply, in purity and abundance, of light, air, and water; for drainage and sewerage, for paving and for cleanliness.(1850)”

“Syndemic Perspective - an understanding of disease that focuses on the complex interconnections among co-morbid diseases, biological linkages, and interacting social and environmental conditions"

“Transportation: Highway and Roadway Design, Traffic Volume, Access to Public Transportation, Pedestrian Crossings, Pollution, Bike Paths"

“Research Topics – B.E. and Health: Barriers to Activity in Low Income Neighborhoods, Air Pollution and Acute Cardiac Events…”

“Conclusions: Human Health and Built Environment are Closely Linked, Built Environment and Health Associations are Complex and Comprehensive…”
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