How cities are planned and organized has a tremendous impact on the health of residents, especially in marginalized communities, says Roshanak Mehdipanah, an urban health expert at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
In an effort to address community violence throughout the state and nationwide, University of Michigan researchers are partnering with community members and local organizations to implement and evaluate programs that aim to curb violence by cleaning up neighborhoods.
For 26 years, the Prevention Research Center of Michigan has researched ways to create safer, more inviting and accessible neighborhood spaces and improve physical and mental health. Now, with $5 million in renewed funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the center will continue its community-based participatory research projects through at least 2029.
The burgeoning housing crisis affecting Michigan and much of the nation is addressed in a new report by the University of Michigan in partnership with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
The University of Michigan Public Health School of Public Health launched the inaugural event of its new speaker series, The Exchange: Critical Conversations with Michigan Public Health, on Nov. 8. The theme of the event, “The Future of Healthy Cities,” aligns with a core topic from the school's research initiative, Public Health IDEAS for Creating Health and Equitable Cities.
We spoke with Roshanak Mehdipanah, an associate professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, to learn more about a new initiative she is leading called Housing Solutions for Health Equity.