Wednesday, November 5, 2014
1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Building 45 (Natcher), Balcony B
NIH Campus | Bethesda, Maryland

Introduction by:

Rear Admiral (RADM) Boris D. Lushniak, M.D., M.P.H.
Acting Surgeon General
Chair, National Prevention Council

Moderator:

Melissa Lim Brodowski, Ph.D., M.S.W., M.P.H.
Acting Senior Advisor for Policy and Outreach 
Office of the Surgeon General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Speakers:

Allen Glicksman, Ph.D.
Director of Research and Evaluation 
Philadelphia Corporation for Aging

Rachel MacCleery, M.P.A.
Senior Vice President
Urban Land Institute

Gwen Wright
Planning Director
Montgomery County Planning Department

Sponsored by:

Office of Disease Prevention, National Institutes of Health
Office of the Surgeon General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

About the Seminar

The built environment refers to the human-made surroundings of a community, such as parks, sidewalks, buildings, neighborhoods, and transportation systems. Current research indicates that a health-focused built environment, which may include features like walking and biking paths, as well as access to public transportation and full-service grocery stores, can improve physical and mental well-being. Conversely, poor community design (e.g., car-dependent places with limited recreational spaces) may encourage sedentary habits and exacerbate common public health problems like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and depression.

This seminar will highlight several examples of organizations and communities working to promote health and prevent disease through changes in the built environment.

About the Translating From Clinic to 
Curbside Series

The Medicine: Mind the Gap, Translating From Clinic to Curbside Series explores the science of prevention in community-based settings. The National Prevention Strategy recognizes that many of the strongest predictors of health and well-being fall outside of the health care setting. Thus, the existing focus on translating evidence “from bench to bedside” may need to be expanded to reflect the importance of the environments in which we live, learn, work, and play. The Translating From Clinic to Curbside Series supports the Strategy by highlighting research opportunities and gaps related to community-based interventions to improve population health.