Urban health: How shaping our built environment shapes ourselves

StreetTalk !
Urban health: How shaping our built environment shapes ourselves
Thursday, April 2, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
by Russ Lopez

@ LivableStreets office space, 100 Sidney Street, Central Square, Cambridge [ map... ]

free and open to the public, donation suggested, beer/sodas provided compliments of Harpoon Brewery!

"If there’s a supermarket in your zip code, for example, you’re 10% less likely to be obese. If there are a lot of intersections in your neighborhood - a sign of street connectivity and continuity - you’re less likely to be obese. And, not surprisingly, the more time people spend in their cars, the more likely they are to be obese” says Lopez.

Come hear Russ Lopez speak about how our built environment – from playgrounds to fast food chains – shapes ourselves.

Russ Lopez, a native of California, is an Assistant Professor at the Boston University School of Public Health. Past employment includes working on urban and environmental issues for then Lt. Governor John Kerry. He also worked for ten years in various positions in for the City of Boston on housing, community development and environmental concerns. Dr. Lopez was the first Executive Director of the Environmental Diversity Forum, a coalition of environmentalists and community activists advocating for environmental justice issues throughout New England. His interests include urban environmental health and the role of the cities, neighborhoods, and the structure of the built environment in public health outcomes. Dr. Lopez has published articles on the health effects of racial segregation, income inequality and urban sprawl. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Earth Sciences from Stanford University and his Master of City and Regional Planning degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He has a doctorate in Environmental Health from the Boston University School of Public Health.

This event is sponsored by LivableStreets Alliance.