Catherine L. Ross

Growing the field of health impact assessment in the United States: An agenda for research and practice

Health impact assessment (HIA) methods are used to evaluate the impact on health of policies and projects in community design, transportation planning, and other areas outside traditional public health concerns. At an October 2004 workshop, domestic and international experts explored issues associated with advancing the use of HIA methods by local health departments, planning commissions, and other decisionmakers in the United States. Workshop participants recommended conducting pilot tests of existing HIA tools, developing a database of health impacts of common projects and policies, developing resources for HIA use, building workforce capacity to conduct HIAs, and evaluating HIAs. HIA methods can influence decisionmakers to adjust policies and projects to maximize benefits and minimize harm to the publics health.

The structure of urban space, movement and co-presence: The case of Atlanta

Abstract Urban areas in Atlanta are analyzed using a computer based technique known as ‘space syntax’ to reveal an underlying systematic and consistent relationship between pedestrian or vehicular movement and spatial configuration. This provides a framework for discussing how far different urban morphologies are characterized by similar regular patterns; how design choices can affect the social use of space; and how methodological and theoretical issues, such as the study of the effects of scale, can be formulated with greater clarity.

Health impact assessment of the Atlanta BeltLine.

BACKGROUND Although a health impact assessment (HIA) is a tool that can provide decision makers with recommendations to promote positive health impacts and mitigate adverse health impacts of proposed projects and policies, it is not routinely conducted on most major projects or policies. PURPOSE To make health a decision criterion for the Atlanta BeltLine, a multibillion-dollar transit, trails, parks, and redevelopment project. METHODS An HIA was conducted in 2005-2007 to anticipate and influence the BeltLines effect on health determinants. RESULTS Changes in access and equity, environmental quality, safety, social capital, and physical activity were forecast, and steps to maximize health benefits and reduce negative effects were recommended. Key recommendations included giving priority to the construction of trails and greenspace rather than residential and retail construction, making health an explicit goal in project priority setting, adding a public health professional to decision-making boards, increasing the connectivity between the BeltLine and civic spaces, and ensuring that affordable housing is built. BeltLine project decision makers have incorporated most of the HIA recommendations into the planning process. The HIA was cited in the awarding of additional funds of

Planning, Urban Revitalization, and the Inner City: An Exploration of Structural Racism

7,000,000 for brownfield clean-up and greenspace development. The project is expected to promote the health of local residents more than in the absence of the HIA. CONCLUSIONS This report is one of the first HIAs to tie specific assessment findings to specific recommendations and to identifiable impacts from those recommendations. The lessons learned from this project may help others engaged in similar efforts.

Performance Measurement Frameworks and Development of Effective Sustainable Transport Strategies and Indicators

The almost inextricable weaving together of the issues of race and inner-city revitalization presents a complex and seemingly intractable problem for urban and regional planners, scholars, policymakers, activists, and citizens. This article presents an overview of the dilemma from a city and regional planning perspective. It begins with a brief summary of basic planning theory, followed by a more detailed description of specific theories of revitalization, as well as a discussion of four of the most important forces of structural racism that confront inner cities. The article closes with a discussion of those approaches that have shown some promise and with suggestions for potential new approaches that will promote successful inner-city revitalization and reduce the isolation and deprivation of racial minorities inhabiting America’s cities.

Value for Money Analysis in U.S. Transportation Public-Private Partnerships

This paper identifies seven attributes of robust performance measurement systems by analyzing five performance measurement frameworks and their use of transportation system performance indicators. The attributes are then used to examine three case studies from Europe and the United States to demonstrate the value of performance measurement frameworks for developing and improving sustainable transportation strategies and indicators. The case studies point to important considerations in formulating a robust sustainable transportation strategy at different levels of governance and also indicate the importance of ensuring alignment in an agencys vision, objectives, and monitoring systems. The characteristics of an effective framework for the development of sustainable transportation strategies include a comprehensive sustainability objective, a good connection to the goals and objectives of an agency, and vertical and horizontal integration. In addition, a framework should capture the interactions among variables, reflect stakeholder perspectives, and consider the capabilities and constraints of the agency and should be flexible to foster self-learning.

Transportation Planning and Infrastructure Delivery in Major Cities and Megacities

Value for money (VfM) assessment has been used by various public agencies worldwide as a tool to compare the viability of pursuing a project as a public–private partnership (PPP) with traditional procurement. Although sources have described the use of VfM in Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia, relatively little is known of the use of such tools in the United States. This paper presents the results of a survey of state transportation agency officials on their PPP practices and their use of assessments and tools to evaluate public–private partnerships. From the evaluation, the paper provides a guided reference for public agencies looking to adopt the VfM methodology in their current PPP decision-making framework. It also provides recommendations for future adaptations to enhance the VfM tools level of effectiveness.

Health impact assessment in the United States

The number of major cities and megacities is increasing globally. How the distinctive opportunities and risks of major cities and megacities are managed will either erode or enhance the quality of life for their communities. Whereas only one megacity existed in 1950, more than 20 megacities currently exist–and ongoing urbanization inevitably will ensure that several major cities achieve megacity status. The megaregion is increasingly important in infrastructure development that not only solves existing metropolitan problems in a transient manner but proactively recognizes and capitalizes on supraregional opportunities to create sustainable alternatives. Transportation planning and infrastructure delivery are recast in this context, with recognition of the specific changes necessary to support the emerging urban form of megacities and megaregions. Specifically, the scope of the long-range transportation planning framework, infrastructure performance reporting practices, and public-private partnerships (PPPs) is examined in relation to providing adequate transportation infrastructure for megacities. For supraregional planning that involves multiple states and a cohesive vision and standards for the national transportation system, findings indicate that sustainable solutions may involve extending geographic and temporal frames of reference for long-range planning and expanding performance measures to capture appropriate planning inputs that evaluate planning effectiveness according to desired outcomes, a public-sector commitment to involve the private sector in infrastructure delivery, and federal and state leadership to pass laws that create a PPP-enabling environment.

Health in All Policies: Addressing the Legal and Policy Foundations of Health Impact Assessment

Part I - Context for HIA: Integrating Public Health, Planning and Policy Development.- The Purpose of HIA.- Public Health and Community Planning 101.- HIA, EIA, SIA and Other Appraisals.- Part II - Introduction to Core Concepts and Key Examples of HIA.- HIA: A Methodological Overview.- U.S. Case Studies.- International Case Studies.- Part III - Applied Learning: Conducting an HIA.- Screening.- Scoping.- Assessment.- Recommendations.- Reporting and Dissemination.- Evaluation.- Monitoring.- Engaging Stakeholders and Vulnerable Populations in HIA.- Part IV - HIA Today and Tomorrow.- HIA and Emerging Technologies.- Organizational Capacity for HIA.- A Look Forward.

Use of Health Impact Assessment for Transportation Planning: Importance of Transportation Agency Involvement in the Process

This article discusses statutory entry points under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the general foundation of federal environmental law on which Health Impacts Assessments (HIAs) rest. Provides three HIA case studies.