News from CQGRD

Harry West and Myungje Woo Join CQGRD

Harry West , who served as executive director of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) from 1973 to 2000, has joined CQGRD and Georgia Tech's City and Regional Planning Program as Professor of Practice. During his tenure at the ARC, Mr. West was responsible for the preparation and update of three Regional Development Plans, three Regional Transportation Plans, numerous sub-area and corridor plans, alternatives analysis, and major investment studies. Mr. West is recognized as one of the most crucial contributors to Atlanta metropolitan planning in the last half-century. For more information on Mr. West, see http://www.cqgrd.gatech.edu/about/west.php .

Also joining CQGRD is Myungje Woo as Research Scientist. Dr. Woo received his Ph.D. in city and regional planning from Ohio State University in 2007 and holds a master's degree in urban engineering from the University of Seoul in South Korea . He has previously performed research at The Ohio Supercomputer Center, the Seoul Development Institute, and the University of Seoul 's Metropolitan Research Institute. At CQGRD, Dr. Woo will be using geographic information systems (GIS) to study issues of land use, growth management, and urban economics.
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Megaregions Research Continues with FHWA-Funded Study

CQGRD is continuing its pioneering research on “megaregions,” multi-state urbanized regions expected to hold two-thirds of American population by 2050, in a study funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The study will summarize knowledge to date about megaregions and provide a theoretical basis for megaregional planning in the near future. The report will be produced in time to factor into debates over the reauthorization of federal transportation funding in 2009. For more information on CQGRD's ongoing megaregions research, see http://www.cqgrd.gatech.edu/megaregions/index.php. [BACK TO TOP]

Infrastructure Delivery for Major Cities

Dr. Catherine L. Ross, director of CQGRD, was co-author of “Transportation Planning and Infrastructure Delivery in Major Cities and Megacities,” published in the journal Transportation Research Record's fall 2007 issue. READ THE ARTICLE.
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New HIA Begun on the Collier Road / Piedmont Hospital Area

CQGRD is in the midst of preparing a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) for the Collier Road/Piedmont Hospital area, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The goal of an HIA is to promote healthy communities and lifestyles by making potential health impacts part of the policy and project decision-making process. The Collier Road/Piedmont Hospital HIA will evaluate and articulate the health impacts, both good and bad, of having a major hospital in a residential area. To see more of CQGRD's previous HIA work, including the HIA conducted of the Atlanta BeltLine, visit our "Healthy Places" program page.
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Ross and Dannenberg Present BeltLine HIA at International Health Impact Assessment Conference

Dr. Catherine L. Ross presented CQGRD's Health Impact Assessment (HIA) on the Atlanta BeltLine at the 8th International Health Impact Assessment Conference, held this year on October 16th and 17th in Dublin , Ireland . The Institute of Public Health in Ireland hosted the conference, which drew researchers from countries such as Canada , the Netherlands , Sweden , Poland , United Kingdom , Ireland , and Australia . Dr. Ross presented on “Integrating Health: The Atlanta BeltLine.” Dr. Andrew Dannenberg, director of the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centers for Disease Control and a frequent collaborator with CQGRD, also presented on findings from HIAs throughout the United States , including the BeltLine HIA. VIEW THE CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS.
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CQGRD Researchers Present at National Planning Research Conference

Several CQGRD staff members presented at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning's annual conference in Milwaukee, WI , on October 18th-21st. Research scientists Karen Leone de Nie and Jason Barringer presented on the BeltLine HIA and transportation and mobility planning in megaregions, respectively. Jessica Doyle, a doctoral researcher for CQGRD, presented on regional transport planning in the European Union.

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Upcoming Events

Healthy Places Research Group Continues

The Healthy Places Research Group (HPRG) meetings will be continuing in 2008. The next scheduled meetings are:

• Tuesday, February 5, 2008, at Emory University

• Tuesday, March 4, 2008, at Georgia Tech

• Tuesday, April 1, 2008, at Emory University

• Tuesday, May 6, 2008, at Georgia Tech

All meetings take place from 7:30 to 9AM and are open to anyone interested in the link between health and the built environment (the places where we live, work, go to school and recreate). HPRG is a collaborative effort involving Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, Georgia Tech's College of Architecture, and the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development. It also involves professionals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers, students, and others interested in exploring the co-relationship between the built environment and the health of communities. LEARN MORE ABOUT HPRG.

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Research of Interest

WHO Releases Report on Age-Friendly Cities

In October 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its guide to “global age-friendly cities.” 35 cities in 22 countries participated in the study, which seeks to understand how cities are coping with increased older populations. By 2050, 22% of the global population will be aged 60 or over, and 80% of them will be living in developing countries. The study evaluated a number of aspects of urban environments, including outdoor spaces, transportation, housing, social participation, employment, community support, and health services, to determine how the participating cities were “age-friendly” and how they could better support an aging population. To learn more about the study and what local communities can do.
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Is a Building Green if You Drive to It?

Environmental Building News has published research on the “transportation energy intensity” of buildings. By EBN's calculations, for the average office building in the United States, 30% more energy is spent by commuters en route to the building than by the building itself. The report also summarizes strategies to lower the transportation energy intensity of buildings, such as parking management, increasing access to public transit, accommodating bicyclists, and developing building-specific metrics for transportation efficiency. READ THE FULL REPORT.
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Australian Roundup of HIA Research

The New South Wales Public Health Bulletin, a peer-reviewed journal published by the Public Health Division of the New South Wales state government in Australia , has published a series of articles discussing Health Impact Assessments (HIA) in urban settings. The collection of articles includes a reflection on the use of HIAs around the world and a series of case studies of HIA use, including in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, addressing such topics as how to address equity issues within an HIA and how NSW Health plans to use HIAs in future project evaluations. CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE ARTICLES.

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EU Sets Public Health Priorities for 2008–13

The European Union has released a White Paper, “Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU 2008–2013,” outlining its priorities as to public health. The report builds on the common values adopted by the EU in 2006: universality, access to good quality care, equity and solidarity. Plans include the creation of a system of EU-wide health indicators; research into the economic relationships between health status, health investment, and economic growth and development; the implementation of e-health systems; and evaluations of the potential health effects of climate change. READ THE REPORT.

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