Earth Day Network’s Urban Environmental Report (UER) includes over 50 sets of data that examine health-related issues on topics ranging from population and chronic diseases to local sustainable food sources and health insurance coverage.

The burdens of poverty, inadequate or nonexistent health care, discrimination and prevalence of crime in many older inner-city neighborhoods collectively give rise to a syndrome of lower health status in these communities. Growing income inequalities and inadequate social services also threaten the well-being of urban residents, especially among vulnerable populations such as the homeless, recent immigrants and poor children. Poor and minority communities also contend with environmental inequities that have dire consequences for health.

Urban living is suspected of contributing to poor health by discouraging physical activity, recreation, and social interaction and by limiting access to nutritious food. Problems in the urban environment may interact with and compound other social and health issues as well and thus magnify community health effects.

Resources

The Environmental Defense Scorecard
     http://www.scorecard.org

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)
     http://www.epa.gov

Public Interest Research Group
     http://www.uspirg.org

OMB Watch
     http://www.ombwatch.org

Article: CUNY and the Health of Cities
     http://www.psc-cuny.org/PDF/Clarion_Sept_02.pdf

American Journal of Public Health
     http://www.ajph.org/cgi/collection/urban_health

Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute
     http://www.jhsph.edu/urbanhealth

Virtuocity
     http://virtuocity.com/2006/11/20/urban-planning-and-public-health/

MetropolisMag.com
     http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=2353