TL;DR
Public health data can help green infrastructure projects by identifying communities, populations, and health concerns that can most benefit from green changes.
Public Health Data and Green Infrastructure
Green infrastructure projects typically come about either as part of an upcoming development project or to address a stormwater problem. To use green infrastructure to create healthier communities, though, you need to approach it through a public health lens. And to do that, you need to start with the data. So how can public health data help green infrastructure?
1) Where is the greatest need in your community?
Your state and county will have public health data specific to different communities in your area. This will allow you to flag the areas, whether whole cities or individual neighborhoods, that are most in need. Your data are likely to show you in harsh numbers the legacy of social inequity in your region. Some communities, typically those with large populations of people of color and people with low incomes, will have had virtually all their greenery removed. Those same communities are likely to also have been forced to receive the most polluting industries.
So what can you do? Well, if one neighborhood has almost no shade or if one town has significant air pollution from local industry, you can flag them as top sites for your green infrastructure project. De-paving and planting with native species – gardens and shade trees – can be a small step towards creating more equitable places to live.
2) Which populations are most vulnerable?
Local public health data is also stellar at showing which groups in a community are most at risk. If you have already used your data to choose a community for your green infrastructure project, you can dive deeper into the data to see who in the community has the most health needs. However, you can also use this question first to help you site your project. If you know, for instance, that one town has a high proportion of elderly people, that might be reason to create a green infrastructure project there. The population you are seeking to help will shape your project.
For instance, elderly people are more vulnerable to illness and death from extreme heat. Creating shaded areas that are cooled by mature trees and the evapotranspiration of native plants can give elderly people more access to outdoor areas. Trees and native plant gardens can also be planted on the south and west of apartment buildings to keep them cooler, which will reduce the energy bills of elderly people running their air conditioners.
3) What are the priority health needs?
Another way to choose a site is by using your data to flag priority health concerns. This, too, can be either a starting point or a question answered after you have already selected your community or defined a vulnerable population.
For instance, if cardiovascular disease or diabetes are the major health concerns you wish to address, then green infrastructure can be used to create opportunities for physical activity. Walking trails and bicycle paths could be created with cooling shade trees and native plants. If asthma is the concern, native vegetation can be placed near HVAC intakes to filter air before entering buildings.
Pulling it Together
Your results will be stronger if you ask these questions together. Let your public health data show you where the needs are greatest, who is most at risk, and what health concerns they are facing. This is how public health data can help green infrastructure projects – and address the highest priority health needs of your community.
Photo by Alexander Sinn on Unsplash