This first-of-its-kind volume traces rarely explored links between public policy, the state of the environment, and key issues in public health, with recommendations for addressing longstanding intractable problems. Experts across diverse professions use their wide knowledge and experience to discuss hunger and food sustainability, land use, chronic and communicable diseases, child mortality, and global water quality. Interventions described are varied as well, from green technology breakthroughs to regulatory accountability, innovative urban planning and community policing programs. Chapters build and expand on each other’s themes inspiring deeper understanding and critical thinking that further prompts readers to develop practical solutions leading to improvements in planetary and population health outcomes. Included in the coverage: · The challenge of implementing macroeconomic policy in an increasingly microeconomic world · Green aid flows: trends and opportunities for developing countries · Planning healthy communities: abating preventable chronic diseases · Foundations of community health: planning access to public facilities · International changes in environmental conditions and their personal health consequences Translating National Policy to Improve Environmental Conditions Impacting Public Health is developed for educators, students, and policymakers to generate awareness and review options to help create change in their communities. Federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, the EPA, and Housing and Urban Development will also find it salient.

Transportation, Land Use, and Environmental Planning examines the practices and policies linking transportation, land use and environmental planning needed to achieve a healthy environment, thriving economy, and more equitable and inclusive society. It assesses best practices for improving the performance of city and regional transportation systems, looking at such issues as public transit and non-motorized travel investments, mixed use and higher density urban development, radically transformed vehicles, and transportation systems. The book lays out the growing need for greater integration of transportation, land use, and environmental planning, looking closely at changing demographic needs, public health concerns, housing affordability, equity, and livability. In addition, strategies for achieving these desired outcomes are presented, including urban design and land use planning, regional and corridor-level transit plans, bike and pedestrian improvements, demand management strategies, and emerging technologies and services. The final part of the book examines implementation challenges, considering lessons from the US and around the globe at both local and regional levels. - Introduces never-before-published research - Offers best practices for transit, cycling, urban design and housing provision - Assesses emerging developments, such as smart cities, new vehicle technologies, automated highways and transportation sharing - Examines the institutional and political dimensions of sustainability planning at the urban and regional levels - Utilizes case studies from around the world that show alternative ways forward

Containing papers presented at the 13th International Conference on Urban Regeneration and Sustainability, this volume includes latest research providing solutions that lead towards sustainability. The series maintains its strong reputation and contributions have been made from a diverse range of delegates, resulting in a variety of topics and experiences.

What can planners do to restore equity to their craft? Drawing upon the perspectives of a diverse group of planning experts, Advancing Equity Planning Now places the concepts of fairness and equal access squarely in the center of planning research and practice. Editors Norman Krumholz and Kathryn Wertheim Hexter provide essential resources for city leaders and planners, as well as for students and others, interested in shaping the built environment for a more just world. Advancing Equity Planning Now remind us that equity has always been an integral consideration in the planning profession. The historic roots of that ethical commitment go back more than a century. Yet a trend of growing inequality in America, as well as other recent socio-economic changes that divide the wealthiest from the middle and working classes, challenge the notion that a rising economic tide lifts all boats. When planning becomes mere place-making for elites, urban and regional planners need to return to the fundamentals of their profession. Although they have not always done so, planners are well-positioned to advocate for greater equity in public policies that address the multiple objectives of urban planning including housing, transportation, economic development, and the removal of noxious land uses in neighborhoods. Thanks to generous funding from Cleveland State University, the ebook editions of this book are available as Open Access volumes from Cornell Open (cornellopen.org) and other repositories.

For the first time in human history, access to information on almost any topic is accessible through the Internet. A powerful extraction system is needed to disseminate this knowledge, which for most users is Google. Google Search is an extremely powerful and important component to American political life in the twenty-first century, yet its influence is poorly researched or understood. Sean Richey and J. Benjamin Taylor explore for the first time the influence of Google on American politics, specifically on direct democracy. Using original experiments and nationally representative cross-sectional data, Richey and Taylor show how Google Search returns quality information, that users click on quality information, and gain political knowledge and other contingent benefits. Additionally, they correlate Google usage with real-world voting behavior on direct democracy. Building a theory of Google Search use for ballot measures, Google and Democracy is an original addition to the literature on the direct democracy, Internet politics, and information technology. An indispensable read to all those wishing to gain new insights on how the Internet has the power to be a normatively valuable resource for citizens.

Parks and recreation systems have evolved in remarkable ways over the past two decades. No longer just playgrounds and ballfields, parks and open spaces have become recognized as essential green infrastructure with the potential to contribute to community resiliency and sustainability. To capitalize on this potential, the parks and recreation system planning process must evolve as well. In Parks and Recreation System Planning, David Barth provides a new, step-by-step approach to creating parks systems that generate greater economic, social, and environmental benefits. Barth first advocates that parks and recreation systems should no longer be regarded as isolated facilities, but as elements of an integrated public realm. Each space should be designed to generate multiple community benefits. Next, he presents a new approach for parks and recreation planning that is integrated into community-wide issues. Chapters outline each step—evaluating existing systems, implementing a carefully crafted plan, and more—necessary for creating a successful, adaptable system. Throughout the book, he describes initiatives that are creating more resilient, sustainable, and engaging parks and recreation facilities, drawing from his experience consulting in more than 100 communities across the U.S. Parks and Recreation System Planning meets the critical need to provide an up-to-date, comprehensive approach for planning parks and recreation systems across the country. This is essential reading for every parks and recreation professional, design professional, and public official who wants their community to thrive.

This book is the sixth in a series covering bet practices in community quality-of-life (QOL) indicators. The cases in this volume describe communities that have launched their own community indicators programs. Elements that are included in the descriptions are the history of the community indicators work within the target region, the planning of community indicators, the actual indicators that were selected, the data collection process, the reporting of the results, and the use of the indicators to guide community development decisions and public policy. ​