Public policy

Watsonville and Pajaro Valley, CA

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:57:51 -0600

The city of Watsonville and the surrounding Pajaro Valley would seem to have an abundance of advantages for healthy eating and active living. In their southern corner of Santa Cruz County, not far from Monterey Bay, acres of fields growing strawberries, lettuce and artichokes punctuate the miles of open space.

Yet these crops and resources often remain tantalizingly out of reach for the area’s 47,000 residents, many of them Latino migrant farm workers with little educational achievement, limited English, low wages and high rates of seasonal unemployment.

San Felipe Pueblo, NM

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:48:51 -0600

Nestled halfway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, 3,200 people live as a sovereign nation in the Pueblo of San Felipe (Katishtya). Theirs is a historic tribe, first recognized by the federal government in the mid-19th century but with traditions that date back more than 400 hundred years. Yet theirs is also a challenged community, as pertains to the health of their children and the resources available to help youth eat nutritious foods and be physically active.

Omaha, NE

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:22:51 -0600

With more than 500,000 residents, Omaha easily claims the title of Nebraska’s largest city. During a growth spurt in the 1950s, its middle class left the older eastern end of the city for the developing suburbs to the west. A diverse, largely lower-income population filled the void. Today, this section of Omaha remains has a median household income that is about half that of households in the rest of the city and surrounding Douglas County.

New Orleans, LA

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:21:46 -0600

When Hurricane Katrina unleashed its fury along the Gulf Coast in August 2005, Americans watched in horror as the levees protecting New Orleans gave way and devastating floodwaters rushed in. Hundreds of people died; entire neighborhoods were submerged. More than four years later, The Big Easy is still recovering—minus nearly 200,000 residents who evacuated and never returned.

Multnomah County/Portland, OR

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:19:20 -0600

From its position in northwest Oregon, Portland might be one of the most mapped cities in the country.

Not in the traditional cartography sense, but through GIS (geographic information system) mapping. In recent years such tracking has detailed the full landscape of Portland’s built environment, from fast food outlets, grocery stores and farmers markets to park entrances, walking routes to schools and transit infrastructure.

Milwaukee, WI

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:17:21 -0600

In the late 19th century it was the settlement movement, pioneered by social reformers to alleviate conditions in poor urban areas. It took hold in Milwaukee in 1896, when the city’s first “settlement house” opened its doors to assist newly arrived European immigrants.

Now, in the early 21st century, a similar movement is afoot, and Milwaukee is turning to eight centers that uphold its historic settlement legacy and hoping they will help solve a modern-day ill.

Milledgeville, GA

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:15:39 -0600

From 1804 to 1868, Milledgeville proudly served as Georgia’s capital, and many remnants of that era, such as the Old Governor’s Mansion, can still be seen today. Far less grand, however, are some of the signs of modern times—a community divided by major state highways, rising unemployment and deteriorating neighborhoods.

Knox County, TN

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:13:03 -0600

In the foothills of Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, Knox County boasts hundreds of miles of green space, parkland and hiking trails. But some children in the county, the largest in East Tennessee, rarely get to enjoy such amenities. They live in poor, blighted communities—in urban, suburban and even rural settings. For them, Knox County has an altogether different landscape.

Kingston, NY

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:12:05 -0600

It’s a historic city that was New York’s first capital, a gateway city to the outdoor fun of the Catskill Mountains. Yet here on the banks of the Hudson River, Kingston is also a city trying to recast itself—as a community that helps its residents be physically active and healthy.

With nearly a fifth of its population of 24,000 living in poverty, and about 44 percent of youth overweight or obese, this aspiration will not be easy to achieve.

Kansas City, MO/KS

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:10:51 -0600

Only a state line separates Missouri’s Kansas City from Kansas City, Kan., but like most big metropolitan areas, this one is a mix of neighborhoods with sometimes similar, sometimes distinct characteristics. Take Argentine, a mostly Latino community on the Kansas side of the line, and Ivanhoe, a predominantly African-American neighborhood on the Missouri side. The flavor of each is very different, but they share one thing in particular when it comes to health: Both communities suffer from high rates of childhood obesity.