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Americans have been in the grip of an obesity epidemic increasing since the mid-1970s. While obesity research traditionally focuses on ways to change individual behavior, researchers are now looking at how changes in urban environments, such as public transit, land use, and housing, could impact health and help prevent obesity.

Through a joint initiative between the Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia’s Institute for Social and Economic Research Policy, Andrew Rundle, DrPH, associate professor of Epidemiology, and his colleagues are assembling a massive geographic information system (GIS) describing neighborhood characteristics in New York City. The database includes a wealth of information, including the location of every street tree, playground, park, ball field, fast food restaurant, supermarket, and car-versus-pedestrian accident in the city.

Survey Data

The team will match New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene survey data from 45,000 people with the GIS database to analyze the extent to which neighborhood environments affect individual diet and physical activity patterns and, in turn, obesity rates. “At the end of the day, our data should be able to document the benefits of different types of infrastructure as they relate to the health of the residents of these neighborhoods,” says Dr. Rundle.

New York City is instituting a sweeping plan, called PLANYC2030, to enhance the city’s urban environment by 2030. Mailman School of Public Health research will help inform city planners as they implement design improvements that promote the health of all city residents.

Learn More

To learn much  more about the Mailman School’s public health innovations please see our aspirations publication.