“If we think of communities as a stage play production, land use would represent the markers on the stage, and infrastructure would represent the props, systems, or facilities in which the actors live, work, and play. The quality of the production and performance; options for how actors move, interact, and communicate; and access to basic technology and technical support are all predicated on the inventory, condition, and distribution of these…
Jennifer Roberts Appointed to NASEM Committee on COVID-19 and Ecosystem Services in the Built Environment
JPB Fellow Jennifer Roberts, associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, was appointed an executive council member for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Strategy Group on COVID-19 and Ecosystem Services in the Built Environment. Created by the Response and Resilient Recovery Strategic Science Initiative, this group focuses on the pandemic’s impact on the access and use of ecosystem services on our built environments.…
How North Denver Became the City’s Ashtray
A new report led by researchers from the Dickinson Lab at the Colorado School of Public Health identifies North Denver as a pollution hot spot thanks to a confluence of factors involving an abundance of industrial businesses, as well as railroad and highway traffic that puts the health of its approximately 50,000 residents at risk every single day. Read more about JPB Fellow Katie Dickinson’s research.
Words of wisdom from three leaders in the environmental health and justice field
A Q&A with Black and Latina researchers about health equity research and career advice for early career scientists. Over the years, we have had countless conversations about our shared research, the field of environmental health, ethical science, the lack of diversity in our field, and how to become successful environmental health and justice researchers. These last two points have been particularly salient as early-career researchers. Success as a researcher can…
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Marccus Hendricks Promoted with Tenure to Associate Professor
JPB Fellow Dr. Marccus Hendricks has been promoted with tenure to associate professor of urban studies and planning by the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (MAPP+D). A sought-after national voice in environmental justice, Hendricks’ work exposes the massive infrastructure crisis plaguing disinvested communities, particularly communities of color. He brings extensive, on-the-ground expertise in flood-related impacts on health, economics, racial justice and public safety, mobilizing the tools…
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Green infrastructure helps cities with climate change. So why isn’t there more of it?
Federal agencies are beginning to hand out billions of dollars in infrastructure spending, the largest investment ever made in the country’s water system. Much of it will go to improving pipes, drains and stormwater systems. But some scientists and urban planners are pushing to fund projects that are better adapted to the changing climate. Instead of just gray infrastructure, supporters say the answer is green. Green infrastructure, whether it’s large…
New Article: Stress recovery from virtual exposure to a brown (desert) environment versus a green environment
The beneficial association between nature contact and human health is often explained with psycho-evolutionary frameworks such as stress reduction theory and the savanna hypothesis. However, evidence is limited on how natural environments that are not green affect stress. One example is the desert, which does not offer affordances for nourishment or safety in an evolutionary sense. In this study, we determine the effect of a virtual reality (VR) exposure to…
New Article: Black Bodies: It’s Time To Reclaim Our Green Space Freedom
Find here JPB Fellow Jennifer Robert’s article: Black Bodies: It’s Time To Reclaim Our Green Space Freedom
Close to Home: Personal Experience Inspires Planning Strategies in Wake of Marshall Fire
CU Anschutz public health expert joins other local researchers in reducing chances of repeat tragedy Uncertainty and new questions are some of the first things that come to mind for Katherine Dickinson, PhD, assistant professor of Environmental & Occupational Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, when recalling Dec. 30, 2021 – the day of the Marshall Fire. “Afterward, I tried to write something and then had to take a step back,” said…
New Article: Perceptions of green space usage, abundance, and quality of green space were associated with better mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic among residents of Denver
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted both physical and mental health. This study aimed to understand whether exposure to green space buffered against stress and distress during the COVID-19 pandemic while taking into account significant stressors of the pandemic. Read more about JPB Fellow Colleen Reid’s study on the benefits of green space exposure during the pandemic was published this week. This work is co-authored by her students Emma Rieves and…