Authors: Jade Kuan and Audrey Yun
This article was authored by participants of ITGH's summer program in "Health, Technology, & Society," in collaboration with the Data-Smart City Solutions Program at the Harvard Kennedy School
Abstract:
Urban environmentalism is fundamentally a pursuit of health, both for the environment and the people who live in it. Yet, environmental risk factors and their impacts on health are unevenly distributed, an issue that can often be traced back to historical disinvestment and urban planning decisions. The example that immediately comes to mind for many is the Flint Water Crisis. The city’s decision to switch the municipal water supply system exposed thousands to dangerous levels of lead, resulting in disease, low birth weights, and lifelong lead exposure for children that disproportionally impacted Black residents. But this is a pattern that can be seen across cities. In Houston, Texas, for example, solid waste sites were placed in predominantly African American neighborhoods and increased risks of water contamination, pollution, and disease.
It is important policymakers account for this context and focus environmental efforts where the impacts are most severe—where health outcomes are worst. By prioritizing these areas, policymakers can address histories of harm and ensure that environmental justice and public health progress together. This is increasingly important as cities expand, with the United Nations estimating that two-thirds of the global population will reside in urban settings by 2050.
In this article, we highlight examples of health-centered environmental initiatives from New York City and Boston.
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