Project Mentor: Prof. Russ McIntire, Population Health
2027 Impact Fellows:
Project Description:
Urban greening initiatives including tree planting and creation of parks, green spaces, and gardens have been shown to improve human health in a myriad of ways. Urban trees and other plants moderate the air temperature at street level and keep residents cool during heat waves. Trees and green spaces have also been shown to directly improve individual health outcomes including mental health, stress, sleep, heart disease, and even all-cause mortality.
The City of Allentown has high rates of mental and physical health issues, including depression, anxiety, obesity, stress, and social isolation, and a large population of residents with limited financial capacity to cope with rising temperatures due to climate change. A multitude of urban greening interventions are planned for the city of Allentown in the next three years including the planting of 600 street trees and design and constructions/expansion of multiple city parks. We propose a Creative Inquiry project whereby students will help researchers study the health impacts of these greening initi tives in Allentown. This three-year project will provide students experience with 1) participating in community-engaged research, on the ground, in underserved areas, 2) planning and administering research including surveys, focus groups, interviews, and other methods, 3) linking evidence and environmental policy, via partnership with public sector stakeholders, and 4) contributing to the dissemination of research products.