Online Program

280242
Green infrastructure and human health


Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 8:30 a.m. - 8:50 a.m.

David Rouse, ASLA, AICP, PP, LEED AP, Research and Advisory Services, American Planning Association, Washington, DC
Public health professionals share with urban planner, designers, and other disciplines an interest in creating conditions in which people can be healthy. However, the different professions tend to operate in “silos” and their efforts would be more effective if integrated to promote health and wellness at the community and neighborhood scales. The term green infrastructure is used by planners to define the critical role of natural systems – forests, farmland, open spaces, greenways, etc. – in sustaining human life. In cities, green infrastructure refers to a landscape network that connects the natural and built environments and provides multiple benefits for people and ecosystems (e.g., parks and trails, green roofs and streets, and the urban tree canopy). The health of a community is inextricably linked to the health of its environment, and a well-developed green infrastructure network can bring important public health benefits, particularly for underserved communities with poor health outcomes. This session will define green infrastructure, lay out concepts and applications relevant to human health, present case studies at the neighborhood and community scales, and explore implications for public health and other professionals to work together across disciplines. Concepts to be explored include “triple bottom line” (social, environmental, and economic) return on investment in green infrastructure and how improved health outcomes can be leveraged from this investment using a systems approach. Research from a variety of sources will be used to establish evidence-based linkages between green infrastructure and public health improvement.

Learning Areas:

Environmental health sciences
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Define green infrastructure and its implications for public health professionals Demonstrate the evidence-based linkage between green infrastructure and human health Discuss how public health, urban planners and designers, and other professionals can work together to improve human health at the community scale through green infrastructure

Keyword(s): Environment, Community Planning

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Trained as a landscape architect and urban planner, David Rouse is Managing Director of Research and Advisory Services for the American Planning Association (APA), a membership and education organization with nearly 40,000 members in 95 countries. David regularly presents on planning and public health related topics at conferences across the country and is the lead author of the APA publication entitled Green Infrastructure: A Landscape Approach (January 2013).
Any relevant financial relationships? Yes

Name of Organization Clinical/Research Area Type of relationship
Wallace Roberts & Todd Planning Employment (includes retainer)

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.