Great Communities Are Healthy and Healing Places

This year theme for the recent Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) Canada Goose sale conference was “Healthy and Healing Places.”

Dr. Canada Goose Outlet Richard Jackson was their on point keynote speaker. A pediatrician and Master of Public Health, Jackson has worked to improve public health by tackling underlying conditions of ill health, namely physical environments and public policies that actively promote disease. He all but rails against the on going degradation of children health rising rates of obesity, asthma and mental illness. Many kids are growing up canada goose outlet toronto factory to be adults doomed to struggle with chronic health issues. Medical science can prolong the quantity of life, but only goose outlet canada by restoring the health of our land, habits, and communities will the quality of our lives also improve.

During his distinguished career, he directed the National Center buy canada goose jacket cheap on Environmental Health at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, aka the CDC. Their head office is in Atlanta, a hip, happening city, but also one gridlocked by bad urban planning and endless freeways the poster child for urban sprawl.

One sweltering summer day, Jackson was canada goose outlet parka stuck in traffic on an 8 lane highway watching an older woman trudge along the freeway shoulder, breathing smog, lugging bags of groceries in each hand. Jackson knew she was returning to her low income neighborhood that had no grocery store such places are deserts from a wealthier one that did.

“If she collapses and dies, it will be heatstroke resulting from an absence of sidewalks, trees, and good planning. Currently, the difference in life expectancy between people in poor neighborhoods and those in comfortable ones is 10 years. Canada Goose Parka Where you live can be very bad for your health.

By contrast, Jackson shows us an awe inspiring example of urban planning that reversed terrible decisions made in the past. Historically, the Cheonggyecheon River Canada Goose Jackets ran freely through downtown Seoul, Korea. In the 1960s, city poured concrete into its canada goose outlet shop large bed and built an elevated highway. Then, in the 2000s, canada goose outlet reviews a visionary mayor wanted a more eco friendly environment and so initiated the removal of the concrete and highway, and the restoration of the stream itself. Opposition was loud and strong. But the 5.8 mile linear park was a resoundingly popular success. People stroll, bike, hang out, meet up, and have lunch. Instead of an industrial gash through the city center, people have a lovely greensward. Air quality improved. Downtown became more accessible by bus, subway, bike and foot, so traffic thinned. With more people using https://www.amigosdecontreras.es alternatives to cars, even the outer rungs of the city canada goose black friday sale saw traffic relief.

Uncovering America rivers is one of Jackson pet goals. As a professor at UCLA, he fights with the state of California to uncover the Los Angeles river. Good luck with that. He got guts and vision, this guy.

So, giant Take Away 1: communities should make all planning decisions with the health of their grandchildren in mind. Reviving our land health will take at least two generations, canada goose uk shop but we reap benefits in the process too.

Dr. Jackson Take Away 2: tax the bejesus out of everything that is bad for us. Start with sugar, which is killing us. Don even get him started on super sizing.

“Our food system is designed to make us unhealthy. Things that are bad for us are half as expensive as they were in 1980; and the reverse is true. buy canada goose jacket In 1983, 32 percent of the population reported having excellent life function. In 2010 the percentage dropped to 13. Smoking is down, but obesity is way up. In 1983, 17 percent of the population reported doing no physical activity during the week; in 2010 it soared to 52 percent.”

In 1960 our government subsidized neither fructose (sugar) nor ethanol (corn based gasoline). Now the subsidies are huge. Conversely, fruits and vegetables get zero government support. Enormous subsidies go to the highway system but not trains even though car accidents are the leading cause of death among children.

Transportation and food policies are public health issues.

“The health people (doctors) are not having success at the end of the disease pipeline. If they could look upstream, they’d have more success. Systemic disorders (like obesity, diabetes, mental illness) require systemic treatment.” Instead, public agencies, doctors and therapists are each chasing after a variety of symptoms that have the same underlying cause. Routine exercise, like walking to shop and do errands, would reduce cars, pollution, obesity, isolation, and the list goes on.

“There’s enormous political pressure to ignore (environmental) science. We don’t convey our message well. Honestly, just as one third of Europe died of plague, I think one third of the planet will die from climate change. We don’t canada goose outlet uk like science when it hits us in the canada goose outlet nyc pocket book. And yet the Federal Reserve is worried about how to pay for future healthcare costs. from Proverbs, Jackson canada goose outlet intones, ” there is no vision, the people perish. imagine a tree lined walk, preferably by a river, made safe by its popularity, where canada goose outlet an old canada goose black friday sale Atlanta woman can wheel her groceries in a push basket, occasionally taking breaks on amply supplied benches, perhaps running into a friend for a chat, to boot.

Julia Steinyis a freelance columnist who also blogs about Restorative Practices and Restorative Justice. After serving canada goose factory outlet on the Providence School Board, she became the Providence canada goose outlet Journal education columnist for 16 years, and has written for many other outlets. As the founding director of theYouth Restoration Project,she been building canada goose outlet uk sale demonstration projects in Rhode Island since 2008.

Julia Steiny

Julia Steiny is a freelance columnist writing about kids and schools through the lens of Restorative Practices and Restorative Justice. Currently she is Project Manager for a National Institute of Justice grant to study the effectiveness of restorative conferencing programs now being implemented in six Rhode Island Schools. Steiny is the founding director of the Youth Restoration Project, the design partner in the grant. After serving a term on the Providence School Board, for 16 years she wrote the Providence Journal’s weekly education column. Since 1998, she has consulted with The Providence Plan on data analysis and communications, helping to develop Information Works! for the RI Department of Education and the RIDataHUB.