{"73484":{"#nid":"73484","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Atlanta BeltLine will Improve Community Health","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Atlanta BeltLine is a visionary project of parks, trails, transit and urban redevelopment circling the city\u0027s core and connecting neighborhoods. It has the ability to reshape the city\u0027s urban fabric and provide much needed opportunities for recreation and active travel that can improve public health. But will it happen soon enough?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn summer 2007 Georgia Tech\u0027s Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD), with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and technical assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released a report entitled the Atlanta BeltLine Health Impact Assessment. The HIA explored how changes in the built environment due to the BeltLine might affect the health of residents and visitors by examining such issues as access to parks and trails, housing, transit and pedestrian safety, and air quality. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter extensive data gathering and analysis, the research team concluded that the BeltLine would have a largely positive affect on the health of Atlantans by improving access to green space and healthy foods, creating opportunities for physical activity and increasing transportation options. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut one negative aspect shadows the project-time. Due to the funding mechanisms adopted to implement the BeltLine, some of the most health-promoting elements of the project will not be completed for decades. That means that much to today\u0027s generation will not benefit from this initiative. The study urges the City of Atlanta to continually seek alternative resources to allow elements of this project-especially parks and trails-to be realized sooner.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The BeltLine is truly an inspiring project and the results of the HIA reinforce that view,\u0022 said Catherine L. Ross, Ph.D., executive director of CQGRD and the principal investigator of the BeltLine HIA. \u0022While the report contains numerous recommendations to improve health outcomes related to the BeltLine, the most important is speeding up its implementation,\u0022 Ross said.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout HIAs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe BeltLine HIA is one of the first HIAs conducted in the United States, and evaluates one of the largest redevelopment projects (6,500 acres) in the nation. This and other HIAs are beginning to forge a renewed relationship between public health experts and planners. One hundred years ago cities were unhealthy places to live due to poor sanitation, bad housing conditions and lack of safety measures. At that time, city planners and engineers worked with public health officials to identify the root causes and find solutions, and they were successful. Today\u0027s new dialogue between health experts and planners focuses on creating places that promote healthy lifestyles and reduce chronic disease, with the HIA serving as a useful tool. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022A well-designed infrastructure can promote the health of residents of a community,\u0022 said Andrew L. Dannenberg, MD, MPH, medical officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u0027s National Center for Environmental Health. \u0022Health impact assessments provide a tool for city planners and public health officials to work together to identify the best ways to help community design support good health.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENext Steps\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe \u003Cem\u003EAtlanta BeltLine Health Impact Assessment \u003C\/em\u003Eis a 200+ page report that details the background, methodology, analysis, findings and detailed recommendations to improve the health impacts of the BeltLine. From that, eight priority recommendations were indentified, including:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe BeltLine will promote good health.\u003C\/strong\u003E Not only should it go forward, but it should be fast tracked to realize the health benefits sooner. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIntegrate the promotion of good health throughout the BeltLine decision making, design and implementation phases.\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnsure affordable and healthy housing \u003C\/strong\u003Eis provided throughout the BeltLine and establish programs and partnerships to address residential displacement. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdd more park acres \u003C\/strong\u003Eand create better connected and more accessible parks, especially in the southwest planning area. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDevelop an integrated transit system \u003C\/strong\u003Econnecting the BeltLine to other metro transit services to make it an effective part of a regional transit system.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreate linkages between the BeltLine and existing civic spaces\u003C\/strong\u003E, like schools, parks, libraries, hospitals and other public buildings. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMake health a component of BeltLine public education and outreach. \u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConduct ongoing evaluation of levels of physical activity\u003C\/strong\u003E attributed to the BeltLine.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"But will it happen soon enough?"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"The Atlanta BeltLine is a visionary project of parks, trails, transit and urban redevelopment circling the city\u0027s core. According to a CQGRD study, it can provide much needed opportunities for recreation and active travel that can improve public health. But will it happen soon enough?","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"CQGRD releases the BeltLine Health Impact Report"}],"uid":"27293","created_gmt":"2007-09-06 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:46","author":"Joanie Chembars","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2007-09-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2007-09-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.cqgrd.gatech.edu\/PDFs\/BLHIA_report2007.pdf","title":"Atlanta BeltLine Health Impact Assessment"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cqgrd.gatech.edu\/PDFs\/BL_HIA_Priority_Recs-CQGRD2007.pdf","title":"BeltLine HIA, priority recommendations"}],"groups":[{"id":"1260","name":"CQGRD - Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EKaren Leone de Nie\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECenter for Quality Growth and Regional Development\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=kl123\u0022\u003EContact Karen Leone de Nie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-5125\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["k.leonedenie@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}