Analyzing Health Equity Using Household Survey Data by
Have gaps in health outcomes between the poor and better off grown? Are they larger in one country than another? Are health sector subsidies more equally distributed in some countries than others? Are health care payments more progressive in one health care financing system than another? What are catastrophic payments and how can they be measured? How far do health care payments impoverish households? Answering questions such as these requires quantitative analysis. This in turn depends on a clear understanding of how to measure key variables in the analysis, such as health outcomes, health expenditures, need, and living standards. It also requires set quantitative methods for measuring inequality and inequity, progressivity, catastrophic expenditures, poverty impact, and so on.This book provides an overview of the key issues that arise in the measurement of health variables and living standards, outlines and explains essential tools and methods for distributional analysis, and, using worked examples, shows how these tools and methods can be applied in the health sector. The book seeks to provide the reader with both a solid grasp of the principles underpinning distributional analysis, while at the same time offering hands-on guidance on how to move from principles to practice.
Blue Marble Health by
Why do diseases of poverty afflict more people in wealthy countries than in the developing world? In 2011, Dr. Peter J. Hotez relocated to Houston to launch Baylor's National School of Tropical Medicine. He was shocked to discover that a number of neglected diseases often associated with developing countries were widespread in impoverished Texas communities. Despite the United States' economic prowess and first-world status, an estimated 12 million Americans living at the poverty level currently suffer from at least one neglected tropical disease, or NTD. Hotez concluded that the world's neglected diseases--which include tuberculosis, hookworm infection, lymphatic filariasis, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis--are born first and foremost of extreme poverty. In this book, Hotez describes a new global paradigm known as "blue marble health," through which he asserts that poor people living in wealthy countries account for most of the world's poverty-related illness. He explores the current state of neglected diseases in such disparate countries as Mexico, South Korea, Argentina, Australia, the United States, Japan, and Nigeria. By crafting public policy and relying on global partnerships to control or eliminate some of the world's worst poverty-related illnesses, Hotez believes, it is possible to eliminate life-threatening disease while at the same time creating unprecedented opportunities for science and diplomacy. Clear, compassionate, and timely, Blue Marble Health is a must-read for leaders in global health, tropical medicine, and international development, along with anyone committed to helping the millions of people who are caught in the desperate cycle of poverty and disease.
Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity by
In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual (TM)s health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.
Cultural Competence in Health: A Review of the Evidence by
This resource supports evidence-informed approaches to improving the cultural competence of health service delivery. By reviewing the evidence from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US, it provides readers with a clear and systematic overview of the interventions and indicators applied to enable health system agencies and professionals to work effectively in various cross-cultural health care situations. The book highlights the importance of cultural competence and describes the current situation in the studied countries; identifies effective approaches and strategies for improving the situation; reviews the indicators for measuring progress; assesses the health outcomes associated with cultural competence; summarizes the quality of the evidence; and presents an evidence-informed conceptual framework for cultural competence in health. Cultural competence is critical to reducing health disparities and has become a popular concept in these countries for improving access to high-quality, respectful and responsive health care. This book provides policy makers, health practitioners, researchers and students with a much needed summary of what works to improve health systems, services and practice.
Disparities in Child Health: A Solutions-Based Approach by 
The Economics of Health Equity by
This book is about equity in health and health care. It explores why, despite being seen as an important goal, health equity has not made more progress within countries and globally, and what needs to change for there to be greater success in delivering fairness. An international team of eminent experts from primarily the field of health economics describe how equity in health and health care might develop over the next decade. They examine existing and past barriers to promoting equity, citing case examples, and covering issues including access to health services and inequalities between and within countries. The analyses are detailed, but the issues are approached in an accessible fashion, highlighting the factors of common international relevance. This book provides a manifesto for achieving health equity for the future. It will be essential reading for health and social policy makers, and health academics nationally and internationally.
Efficiency, Justice and Care: Philosophical Reflections on Scarcity in Health Care by
This book attempts to answer the question how health care can be incorporated into a comprehensive theory of justice, while realising an acceptable balance between efficiency, justice and care. It seems to be that we can have any two but not all three. Essentially, the central question addressed by this book is the following: how best to square the proverbial welfare circle.
Global Health Collaboration: Challenges and Lessons (Open Access Book) by
This stimulating open access volume details the innovative work of the Pan Institution Network for Global Health in creating collaborative research-based answers to large-scale health issues. Equitable partnerships among member universities representing North America, Africa, Asia, and Europe reverse standard cross-national dynamics to develop locally relevant responses to health challenges as well as their underlying disparities. Case studies focusing on multiple morbidities and effects of urbanization on health illustrate open dialogue in addressing HIV, maternal/child health, diabetes, and other major concerns. These instructive examples model collaborations between global North and South as meaningful steps toward the emerging global future of public health. Included in the coverage: Building sustainable networks: introducing the Pan Institution Network for Global Health Fostering dialogues in global health education: a graduate and undergraduate approach Provider workload and multiple morbidities in the Caribbean and South Africa Project Redemption: conducting research with informal workers in New York City Partnership and collaboration in global health: valuing reciprocity Global Health Collaboration will interest faculty working within the field of global health; scholars within public health, health policy, and cognate disciplines; as well as administrators looking to develop international university partnerships around global health and graduate students in the areas of global health, health administration, and public health and related social sciences (e.g., sociology, anthropology, demography).
Global Health Economics: Shaping Health Policy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (Open Access Book) by 
Governing for Health by
Some aspects of public health vary by locality or jurisdiction. Political challenges are not one of them. As governments on every scale become motivated by short-term economic gains, the essential causes of public health and equity are regularly subject to political questioning and financial shortcutting. Governing for Health is a counterpoint to this myopic approach -- a passionate, rigorous case for why the health of a society is both its greatest measure and its most untapped source of prosperity. Drawing on evidence from economic policy, urban planning, education, environmental policy, and civil action, Fran Baum offers more than a pie-in-sky vision of an equitable society. Governing for Health is an actionable (and inspiring) roadmap to a society that draws prosperity from advancing the health of its people. It utilizes methods of progress-measuring, city planning, and progressive policy focal points to advance goals that are unreachable in traditional, economics-driven government practice. Whether for students in health equity, more seasoned public health professionals, or citizens interested in their community's and their own health this book offers a trenchant, richly rewarding and accessible look at the field's ultimate end game -- and with it, hope that it's closer than we think.
Health Equity, Social Justice and Human Rights by
Important links between health and human rights are increasingly recognised, and human rights can be viewed as one of the social determinants of health. A human rights framework provides an excellent foundation for advocacy on health inequalities, a value-based alternative to views of health as a commodity, and an opportunity to move away from public health action being based on charity. This text demystifies systems set up for the protection and promotion of human rights globally, regionally, and nationally. It explores the use and usefulness of rights-based approaches as an important part of the toolbox available to health and welfare professionals and community members working in a variety of settings to improve health and reduce health inequities. Global in its scope, Health Equity, Social Justice, and Human Rights presents examples from all over the world to illustrate the successful use of human rights approaches in fields such as HIV/AIDS, improving access to essential drugs, reproductive health, women's health, and improving the health of marginalised and disadvantaged groups. Understanding human rights and their interrelationships with health and health equity is essential for public health and health promotion practitioners, as well as being important for a wide range of other health and social welfare professionals. This text is valuable reading for students, practitioners, and researchers concerned with combating health inequalities and promoting social justice.
Health Equity in a Globalizing Era: Past Challenges, Future Prospects by
Why do some countries and populations suffer from poverty and ill health, whilst others are more prosperous and healthy? What are the inherently global (trans-border) issues that affect inequities in disease burden and health opportunities for individuals and nations? Traditionally, the focus of global health has been 'international health': the concern for high burdens of disease in generally low-income countries. To answer these questions however, we need to modernise our understanding of globalization as a phenomenon. Health Equity in a Globalizing Era: Past Challenges, Future Prospects examines how globalization processes since the on-set of neoliberalism affect equity in global health outcomes, and emphasises access to important social determinants of health. With a basis in political economy, the book covers key globalization concepts and theory, and presents a thorough background to the field. Case studies, illustrations, and new research all combine to make this title a comprehensive and current discussion of the various pathways that connect globalization to health equity outcomes. It looks at changes in migration, labour markets, trade and investment rules, international development assistance, health systems, infectious and non-communicable disease risks, environmental health, and gendered aspects of globalization's health dialectic. In addition, it argues for a reform of the global governance structure, the significant role of human rights, and the importance of a strong civil society in achieving greater social justice in health. Ideal for senior undergraduate and graduate students in global health programs, global health scholars and practitioners in government policy and health/development NGOs, Health Equity in a Globalizing Era: Past Challenges, Future Prospects is a significant contribution to our new understanding of globalization and global public health.
Healthier: Fifty Thoughts on the Foundations of Population Health by
Fifty essays on the state of population health from a vanguard voice in the field Public health can rightly claim its share of victories: healthier cities, widespread sanitation, broader availability of nutrient-rich food, and reductions in violence and injury. But for all these gains, today we face a new set of challenges, ones complicated by political and professional shifts that threaten to fundamentally change the health of populations. Healthier is both an affirmation and an essential summary of the current challenges and opportunities for those working in and around the improvement of population health. The essays contained here champion an approach to health that is consequentialist and rooted in social justice -- an expansion of traditional, quantitatively motivated public health that will both inform and inspire any reader from student to seasoned practitioner. Galea's cogent, incisive arguments guarantee that his perspective, currently at the forefront of public health, will soon become conventional wisdom.
Health Without Borders: Epidemics in the Era of Globalization by
This book discusses globalization and its impact on human health. The population of the world grew from 1 billion in 1800 to 7 billion in 2012, and over the past 50 years the mean temperature has risen faster than ever before. Both factors continue to rise, as well as health inequalities. Our environment is changing rapidly, with tremendous consequences for our health. These changes produce complex and constantly varying interactions between the biosphere, economy, climate and human health, forcing us to approach future global health trends from a new perspective. Preventive actions to improve health, especially in low-income countries, are essential if our future is going to be a sustainable one. After a period of undeniable improvement in the health of the world's population, this improvement is likely to slow down and we will experience- at least locally - crises of the same magnitude as have been observed in financial markets since 2009. There is instability in health systems, which will worsen if preventive and buffering mechanisms do not take on a central role. We cannot exclude the possibility that the allied forces of poverty, social inequalities, climate change, industrial food and lack of governance will lead to a deterioration in the health of large sectors of the population. In low-income countries, while many of the traditional causes of death (infectious diseases) are still highly prevalent, other threats typical of affluent societies (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases) are increasing. Africa is not only affected by malaria, TB and HIV, but also by skyrocketing rates of cancer. The book argues that the current situation requires effective and coordinated multinational interventions guided by the principle of health as a common good. An entirely competition-driven economy cannot - by its very nature - address global challenges that require full international cooperation. A communal global leadership is called for. Paolo Vineis is Chair of Environmental Epidemiology at Imperial College. His current research activities focus on examining biomarkers of disease risk as well as studying the effects of climate change on non-communicable diseases. "From morality to molecules, environment to equity, climate change to cancer, and politics to pathology, this is a wonderful tour of global health - consistently presented in a clear, readable format. Really, an important contribution." Professor Sir Michael Marmot Director, Institute of Health Equity University College London Author of "The Health Gap" "This book is a salutary and soundly argued reminder that the 'common good' is not simply what remains after individuals and groups have appropriated the majority of societal resources: it is in fact the foundation on which any society rests and without which it collapses." Rodolfo Saracci, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
Healthy Environments, Healing Spaces: Practices and Directions in Health, Planning, and Design by
This collection of essays by leading scholars and practitioners addresses a timely and essential question: How can we design, plan, and sustain built environments that will foster health and healing? With a salutogenic (health-promoting) focus, Healthy Environments, Healing Spaces addresses a range of contemporary issues, including health equity, biophilic cities, healthcare facility design, environmental health, aging in place, and food systems planning. Contributors: Ellen Bassett ● Timothy Beatley ● Emily Chmielewski ● Jason Corburn ● Tanya Denckla Cobb ● Tye Farrow ● Ann Forsyth ● Howard Frumkin ● Judith H. Heerwagen ● J. David Hoglund ● Carla Jones ● Andrew Mondschein ● Christina Mullen ● Reuben Rainey ● Samina Raja ● Jennifer Whittaker
An Introduction to Global Health Delivery: Practice, Equity, Human Rights by
"What Mukherjee attempts, and succeeds in doing, is to offer what many students -- undergraduates as well as students of medicine, nursing, and public health -- have long clamored for: a primer not only of recent developments in global health, but also a patient dissection of what has worked less well (and what hasn't worked at all)." --Paul Farmer, from the foreword The field of global health has roots in the AIDS pandemic of the late 20th century, when the installation of health care systems supplanted older, low-cost prevention programs to help stem the spread of HIV in low- and middle-income Africa. Today's global health is rooted the belief that health care is a human right, and that by promoting health we can cultivate equity and social justice in places where such values aren't always found. An Introduction to Global Health Delivery is a short but immersive introduction to global health's origins, actors, interventions, and challenges. Informed by physician Joia Mukherjee's quarter-century of experience fighting disease and poverty in more than a dozen countries, it delivers a clear-eyed overview of the movement underway to reduce global health disparities and establish sustainable access to care, including details of what has worked so far -- and what hasn't. Grounded in the historical and social factors that propagate health disparities and enriched with case studies and exercises that encourage readers to think critically about the subject matter, this text is the essential starting point for readers of any background seeking a practical grounding in global health's promise and progress.
The Morehouse Model: How One School of Medicine Revolutionized Community Engagement and Health Equity by
Among the 154 medical schools in the United States, Morehouse School of Medicine stands out for its formidable success in improving its surrounding communities. Over its history, Morehouse has become known as an institution committed to community engagement with an interest in closing the health equity gap between people of color and the white majority population. In The Morehouse Model, Ronald L. Braithwaite and his coauthors reveal the lessons learned over the decades since the school's founding--lessons that other medical schools and health systems will be eager to learn in the hope of replicating Morehouse's success. Describing the philosophical, cultural, and contextual grounding of the Morehouse Model, they give concrete examples of it in action before explaining how to foster the collaboration between community-based organizations and university faculty that is essential to making this model of care and research work. Arguing that establishing ongoing collaborative projects requires genuineness, transparency, and trust from everyone involved, the authors offer a theory of citizen participation as a critical element for facilitating behavioral change. Drawing on case studies, exploratory research, surveys, interventions, and secondary analysis, they extrapolate lessons to advance the field of community-based participatory research alongside community health. Written by well-respected leaders in the effort to reduce health inequities, The Morehouse Model is rooted in social action and social justice constructs. It will be a touchstone for anyone conducting community-based participatory research, as well as any institution that wants to have a positive effect on its local community.
Music, Health and Wellbeing by
This book explores the power music has to address health inequalities and the social determinants of health and wellbeing. It examines music participation as a determinant of wellbeing and as a transformative tool to impact on wider social, cultural and environmental conditions. Uniquely, in this volume health and wellbeing outcomes are conceptualised on a continuum, with potential effects identified in relation to individual participants, their communities but also society at large. While arts therapy approaches have a clear place in the text, the emphasis is on music making outside of clinical contexts and the broader roles musicians, music facilitators and educators can play in enhancing wellbeing in a range of settings beyond the therapy room. This innovative edited collection will be of great interest to scholars and practitioners of music, social services, medical humanities, education and the broader health field in the social and medical sciences.
Promoting Health Equity Among Racially and Ethnically Diverse Adolescents: A Practical Guide by 
Public Health, Ethics, and Equity by
This book builds an interdisciplinary understanding of health equity. With contributions from distinguished philosophers, anthropologists, economists, and public-health specialists, it centres on five major themes: what is health equity?; health equity and social justice; responsibilities for health; ethical issues in health evaluation; and anthropological perspectives.
Public Health Ethics: Key Concepts and Issues in Policy and Practice by
Public health ethics is a discipline concerned with the health of the public or a population as a whole, rather than focusing on the individual. This book introduces a number of this new field's central concepts and explores the key and controversial issues arising. Topics covered include the nature of public health ethics, the concepts of disease and prevention, risk and precaution, health inequalities and justice, screening, vaccination and disease control, smoking and issues relating to the environment and public health. With insightful contributions from leading experts, Public Health Ethics presents thought-provoking reviews of these topics, at the same time as encouraging and identifying areas for future discussion in this emerging discipline. This is a valuable addition to the library of anyone working in the fields of public health, health policy, ethics, philosophy and social science.
Reimagining Global Health by
Bringing together the experience, perspective and expertise of Paul Farmer, Jim Yong Kim, and Arthur Kleinman, Reimagining Global Health provides an original, compelling introduction to the field of global health. Drawn from a Harvard course developed by their student Matthew Basilico, this work provides an accessible and engaging framework for the study of global health. Insisting on an approach that is historically deep and geographically broad, the authors underline the importance of a transdisciplinary approach, and offer a highly readable distillation of several historical and ethnographic perspectives of contemporary global health problems. The case studies presented throughout Reimagining Global Health bring together ethnographic, theoretical, and historical perspectives into a wholly new and exciting investigation of global health. The interdisciplinary approach outlined in this text should prove useful not only in schools of public health, nursing, and medicine, but also in undergraduate and graduate classes in anthropology, sociology, political economy, and history, among others.
Vibrant and Healthy Kids: Aligning Science, Practice, and Policy to Advance Health Equity by
Children are the foundation of the United States, and supporting them is a key component of building a successful future. However, millions of children face health inequities that compromise their development, well-being, and long-term outcomes, despite substantial scientific evidence about how those adversities contribute to poor health. Advancements in neurobiological and socio-behavioral science show that critical biological systems develop in the prenatal through early childhood periods, and neurobiological development is extremely responsive to environmental influences during these stages. Consequently, social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors significantly affect a child (TM)s health ecosystem and ability to thrive throughout adulthood. Vibrant and Healthy Kids: Aligning Science, Practice, and Policy to Advance Health Equity builds upon and updates research from Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity (2017) and From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development (2000). This report provides a brief overview of stressors that affect childhood development and health, a framework for applying current brain and development science to the real world, a roadmap for implementing tailored interventions, and recommendations about improving systems to better align with our understanding of the significant impact of health equity.
Blue Biophilic Cities: Nature and Resilience Along the Urban Coast by
There is a growing recognition of the contact we need with nature to be happy, healthy and to lead meaningful lives. We need that nature daily, if not hourly, and so it must be nearby to where we live and work. This is central to the concept of 'biophilic cities' which is emerging as a global movement and guiding framework for city design and planning. Blue Biophilic Cities is about the promise of this movement and a kind of biophilic urbanism that is possible for cities perched on the edge of harbours and seas. In blue biophilic cities, much of the nearby nature is to be found in the marine realm. This book explores the efforts underway in a number of cities to foster new marine connections through a variety of innovative programs and initiatives. It also discusses a number of design ideas, from dynamic shoreline edges and floodable parks to living breakwaters, in order to emphasise the possibility of designing for resilience while also supporting marine biodiversity and strengthening biophilic connections to the marine world.
Community Livability by
What is a livable community? How do you design and develop one? What does government at all levels need to do to support and nuture the cause of livable communities? Using a blend of theory and practice, experts in the field look at evidence from international, state and local perspectives to explore what is meant by the term "livable communities". Chapters examine the various influencing factors such as the effect and importance of transportation options/alternatives to the elderly, the significance of walkability as a factor in developing a livable and healthy community, the importance of good open space providing for human activity and health, restorative benefits, the importance of coordinated land use and transportation planning, and the relationship between livability and quality of life. While much of the discussion of this topic is usually theoretical and abstract, Wagner and Caves use case studies from North America, Brazil and the United Kingdom to provide substantive examples of initiatives implemented across the world. This book fills an important gap in the literature on livable communities and at the same time assists policy officials, professionals and academics in their quest to develop livable communities.
Community Livability by
What is a livable community? How do you design and develop one? What does government at all levels need to do to support and nurture the cause of livable communities? Using a blend of theory and practice, the second edition of Community Livabilityaddresses evidence from international, state and local perspectives to explore what is meant by the term "livable communities." The second edition contains new chapters from leading academics and practitioners that examine the various factors that constitute a livable community (e.g., the influence and importance of transportation options/alternatives to the elderly, the importance of walkability as a factor in developing a livable and healthy community, the importance of good open space providing for human activity and health, restorative benefits, etc., the importance of coordinated land use and transportation planning), and the relationship between livability and quality of life. A number of chapters focus on livable communities with case studies from an international perspective in the USA, Canada, Australia, Peru, Sweden, South Korea, Japan, and Austria.
The Death and Life of Great American Cities by
Penetrating analysis of the functions and organization of city neighborhoods, the forces of deterioration and regeneration, and the necessary planning innovations.
Design for Health: Sustainable Approaches to Therapeutic Architecture by
Design for Health: Sustainable Approaches to Therapeutic Architecture Guest-Edited by Terri Peters This issue of AD seeks out innovative and varied sustainable architectural responses to designing for health, such as: integrating sensory gardens and landscapes into the care environment; specifying local materials and passive technologies; and reinvigorating aging postwar facilities. Contributors include: Anne-Marie Adams, Sean Ahlquist, Giuseppe Boscherini, Robin Guenther, Charles Jencks, Richard Mazuch, Stephen Verderber, Featured architects: 100% Interior, Arup, C.F. Møller, Lyons, MASS Design Group, Mongomery Sisam Architects, Penoyre & Prasad
The Emergence of Biophilic Design by 
Global Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change by
This book explores the link between climate change and resiliency on each continent of the world. It reviews how climate change affects populations, not only through environmental exposures and health outcomes, but how people live their lives. Zolnikov brings together a set of experts to offer a novel perspective on understanding climate change vulnerability alongside adaption measures being implemented. Each chapter includes an overview on how climate change will affect that continent alongside current adaptation, mitigation, and policies that seek to improve population outcomes. As a whole, the book explores why a "one size fits all" approach to promote climate change resiliency does not work; however, a global perspective can facilitate people learning from one another and facing climate change together.
Handbook of Biophilic City Planning and Design by
What if, even in the heart of a densely developed city, people could have meaningful encounters with nature? While parks, street trees, and green roofs are increasingly appreciated for their technical services like stormwater reduction, from a biophilic viewpoint, they also facilitate experiences that contribute to better physical and mental health: natural elements in play areas can lessen children's symptoms of ADHD, and adults who exercise in natural spaces can experience greater reductions in anxiety and blood pressure. The Handbook of Biophilic City Planning & Design offers practical advice and inspiration for ensuring that nature in the city is more than infrastructure--that it also promotes well-being and creates an emotional connection to the earth among urban residents. Divided into six parts, the Handbook begins by introducing key ideas, literature, and theory about biophilic urbanism. Chapters highlight urban biophilic innovations in more than a dozen global cities. The final part concludes with lessons on how to advance an agenda for urban biophilia and an extensive list of resources. As the most comprehensive reference on the emerging field of biophilic urbanism, the Handbook is essential reading for students and practitioners looking to place nature at the core of their planning and design ideas and encourage what preeminent biologist E.O. Wilson described as "the innate emotional connection of humans to all living things."
Happy City - How to Plan and Create the Best Livable Area for the People by
This book presents multi-sector practical cases based on the author's own research. It also includes the best practice, which could serve as a benchmark for the creation of smart cities. The global urbanisation index, i.e., the ratio of city dwellers to the total population, has been steadily increasing in recent years. It is highest in the Americas, followed by Europe, Asia and Africa. The city of the future will combine the intelligent use of IT systems with the potential of institutions, companies and committed, creative inhabitants. The administrative boundaries of today's cities put certain constraints on their further growth, but in the future these boundaries will no longer be as relevant. Cities in Europe face the challenge of reconciling sustainable urban development and competitiveness - a challenge that will likely influence issues of urban quality such as the economy, culture, social and environmental conditions, changing a given city's profile as well as urban quality in terms of its composition and characteristics.
Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design by
A globe-trotting, eye-opening exploration of how cities can--and do--make us happier people Charles Montgomery's Happy City is revolutionizing the way we think about urban life. After decades of unchecked sprawl, more people than ever are moving back to the city. Dense urban living has been prescribed as a panacea for the environmental and resource crises of our time. But is it better or worse for our happiness? Are subways, sidewalks, and condo towers an improvement on the car dependence of the suburbs? The award-winning journalist Charles Montgomery finds answers to such questions at the intersection between urban design and the emerging science of happiness, during an exhilarating journey through some of the world's most dynamic cities. He meets the visionary mayor who introduced a "sexy" bus to ease status anxiety in Bogotá; the architect who brought the lessons of medieval Tuscan hill towns to modern-day New York City; the activist who turned Paris's urban freeways into beaches; and an army of American suburbanites who have hacked the design of their own streets and neighborhoods. Rich with new insights from psychology, neuroscience, and Montgomery's own urban experiments, Happy City reveals how cities can shape our thoughts as well as our behavior. The message is ultimately as surprising as it is hopeful: by retrofitting cities and our own lives for happiness, we can tackle the urgent challenges of our age. The happy city can save the world--and we can all help build it.
Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Communities after Disasters: Strategies, Opportunities, and Planning for Recovery (Open Access Book) by
In the devastation that follows a major disaster, there is a need for multiple sectors to unite and devote new resources to support the rebuilding of infrastructure, the provision of health and social services, the restoration of care delivery systems, and other critical recovery needs. In some cases, billions of dollars from public, private and charitable sources are invested to help communities recover. National rhetoric often characterizes these efforts as a "return to normal." But for many American communities, pre-disaster conditions are far from optimal. Large segments of the U.S. population suffer from preventable health problems, experience inequitable access to services, and rely on overburdened health systems. A return to pre-event conditions in such cases may be short-sighted given the high costs - both economic and social - of poor health. Instead, it is important to understand that the disaster recovery process offers a series of unique and valuable opportunities to improve on the status quo. Capitalizing on these opportunities can advance the long-term health, resilience, and sustainability of communities - thereby better preparing them for future challenges. Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Communities After Disasters identifies and recommends recovery practices and novel programs most likely to impact overall community public health and contribute to resiliency for future incidents. This book makes the case that disaster recovery should be guided by a healthy community vision, where health considerations are integrated into all aspects of recovery planning before and after a disaster, and funding streams are leveraged in a coordinated manner and applied to health improvement priorities in order to meet human recovery needs and create healthy built and natural environments. The conceptual framework presented in Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Communities After Disasters lays the groundwork to achieve this goal and provides operational guidance for multiple sectors involved in community planning and disaster recovery. Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Communities After Disasters calls for actions at multiple levels to facilitate recovery strategies that optimize community health. With a shared healthy community vision, strategic planning that prioritizes health, and coordinated implementation, disaster recovery can result in a communities that are healthier, more livable places for current and future generations to grow and thrive - communities that are better prepared for future adversities.
Healthy Environments, Healing Spaces: Practices and Directions in Health, Planning, and Design by
This collection of essays by leading scholars and practitioners addresses a timely and essential question: How can we design, plan, and sustain built environments that will foster health and healing? With a salutogenic (health-promoting) focus, Healthy Environments, Healing Spaces addresses a range of contemporary issues, including health equity, biophilic cities, healthcare facility design, environmental health, aging in place, and food systems planning. Contributors: Ellen Bassett ● Timothy Beatley ● Emily Chmielewski ● Jason Corburn ● Tanya Denckla Cobb ● Tye Farrow ● Ann Forsyth ● Howard Frumkin ● Judith H. Heerwagen ● J. David Hoglund ● Carla Jones ● Andrew Mondschein ● Christina Mullen ● Reuben Rainey ● Samina Raja ● Jennifer Whittaker
Interior Design for Small Dwellings by
Interior Design for Small Dwellings addresses the onrush of interest in smaller homes and the possibility that small dwellings might be the answer to housing needs and sustainability. The book explores key principles essential to residing and designing small interiors with emphasis on client involvement and implementation of participatory, inclusive design as advocated by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. Does living in a small space mean living small? The authors believe that by simplifying one's life intelligently and applying certain principles of design, planning and organization, one can actually live a meaningful life in a smaller space. These tenets are based on the authors' professional experiences and living in small homes. To this end, the book provides discussion, images, case studies, interviews, worksheets, activities and suggested explorations. Interior Design for Small Dwellings is a teaching guide and provides information and exercises that help professional designers utilize design theory, space planning and programming techniques. Throughout, the text affords sustainability, biophilic design and wellness methodologies.
Low-Carbon Smart Cities: Tools for Climate Resilience Planning by
This book aims to integrate climate mitigation and adaptation tools into conventional urban planning.
Making Healthy Places: Designing and Building for Health, Well-Being, and Sustainability by
Like a well-trained doctor, Making Healthy Places presents adiagnosis of - and offers treatment for - problems relatedto the built environment. Drawing on the latest scientific evidence,with contributions from experts in a range of fields, it imparts awealth of practical information, with an emphasis on demonstrated andpromising solutions to commonly occurring problems.
Nature by Design: The Practice of Biophilic Design by
Biophilia is the theory that people possess an inherent affinity for nature, which developed during the long course of human evolution. In recent years, studies have revealed that this inclination continues to be a vital component to human health and wellbeing. Given the pace and scale of construction today with its adversarial, dominative relationship with nature, the integration of nature with the built environment is one of the greatest challenges of our time. In this sweeping examination, Stephen Kellert describes the basic principles, practices, and options for successfully implementing biophilic design. He shows us what is--and isn't--good biophilic design using examples of workplaces, healthcare facilities, schools, commercial centers, religious structures, and hospitality settings. This book will to appeal to architects, designers, engineers, scholars of human evolutionary biology, and--with more than one hundred striking images of designs--anyone interested in nature-inspired spaces.
Resilience by Design by
This book discusses that disasters, whether natural or man-made, are essentially a human phenomenon. When a city becomes gridlocked and its resources depleted, the collective resilience of those who remain on the ground becomes critical to its immediate survival and recovery. The author argues that in order to build resilient futures for our urban environment, we need more than the skills of architects, engineers, and planners. Support of local communities and policymakers is also needed. The book revisits the recent catastrophic events: the earthquakes in Port-au-Prince and Christchurch, and the hurricane in New Orleans, and places emphasis on the social, cultural, and political processes of rebuilding houses, facilities, and infrastructure that often go unnoticed. Understanding the wider context for how a built project comes to be, the author argues, is a solid indicator of its longevity than by the measure of its material characteristics alone, and gives us reasons to question the validity of our intentions as designers of the future. This book provides strategies for thinking about, assessing, and developing ways for place-makers from all disciplines to become responsible citizen designers of our cities.
Resilience for All: Striving for Equity Through Community-Driven Design by 
Smart and Sustainable Cities and Buildings by 
Social Sustainability, Climate Resilience and Community-Based Urban Development by
Urban communities around the world face increased stress from natural disasters linked to climate change, and other urban pressures. They need to grow rapidly stronger in order to cope, adapt and flourish. Strong social networks and social cohesion can be more important for a community's resilience than the actual physical structures of a city. But how can urban planning and design support these critical collective social strengths? This book offers blue sky thinking from the applied social and behavioural sciences, and urban planning. It looks at case studies from 14 countries around the world - including India, the USA, South Africa, Indonesia, the UK and New Zealand - focusing on initiatives for housing, public space and transport stops, and also natural disasters such as flooding and earthquakes. Building on these insights, the authors propose a 'gold standard': a socially aware planning process and policy recommendation for those drawing up city sustainability and climate change resilience strategies, and urban developers looking to build climate-proof infrastructure and spaces.　 This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of urban studies, resilience studies and climate change policy, as well as policymakers and practitioners working in related fields.
Solutions for Climate Change Challenges in the Built Environment by
The multi-disciplinary perspective provided here offers a strategic view on built environment issues and improve understanding of how built environment activities potentially induce global warming and climate change. It also highlights solutions to these challenges. Solutions to Climate change Challenges in the Built Environment helps develop an appreciation of the diverse themes of the climate change debate across the built environment continuum. A wide perspective is provided through contributions from physical, environmental, social, economic and political scientists. This strategic view on built environment issues will be useful to researchers as well as policy experts and construction practitioners wanting a holistic view. This book clarifies complex issues around climate change and follows five main themes: climate change experiences; urban landscape development; urban management issues; measurement of impact; and the future. Chapters are written by eminent specialists from both academic and professional backgrounds. The main context for chapters is the developed world but the discussion is widened to incorporate regional issues. The book will be valuable to researchers and students in all the built environment disciplines, as well as to practitioners involved with the design, construction and maintenance of buildings, and government organisations developing and implementing climate change policy.
Urban Green Spaces: Public Health and Sustainability in the United States by 
Walkable Neighborhoods: The Link between Public Health, Urban Design, and Transportation (Open Access Book) by
It is now widely recognized that individual-based motivational interventions alone are not sufficient to address the global pandemic of physical inactivity (lack of exercise and too much sitting time). There has been a growing interest in the effect the physically built environment can have on people's active behaviors. The fundamental assumption is that surrounding physical environments can support active behaviors among a large number of people with long-term effects. This topic has received much attention over the last decade, mainly in the three fields of urban design, public health, and transportation. This Special Issue aims to provide multidisciplinary and evidence-based state-of-the-art research on how the locations where people live impact their active behaviors and health outcomes.
Wellbeing and the Environment by
Part of the six-volume Wellbeing: A Complete Reference Guide, this volume examines the ways in which the built environment can affect and enhance the wellbeing of society. Explores the effects of environment on wellbeing and provides insight and guidance for designing, creating, or providing environments that improve wellbeing Looks at the social and health issues surrounding sustainable energy and sustainable communities, and how those connect to concepts of wellbeing Brings the evidence base for environmental wellbeing into one volume from across disciplines including urban planning, psychology, sociology, healthcare, architecture, and more Part of the six-volume set Wellbeing: A Complete Reference Guide, which brings together leading research on wellbeing from across the social sciences