Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Of Rats And Men, Thomas S. Walsh

Capstones

This capstone is a data-driven investigation into New York City's rat problem. By using publicly available government data to map rat activity in NYC, I identified several socio-economic variables that correlate with rat populations at the community district, borough, and city-scale. I used these findings (mainly that rat problems are linked to lower incomes) as the basis of an investigation, which includes interviews with residents, experts, and city officials. Prof. Bobby Corrigan, urban rodentologist and formerly with the NYC Department of Health criticizes the city's efforts for the first time on the record.

https://thomasseiyawalsh.wixsite.com/ratstone

Reflections From The Road: Vincentian Hospitality Principles In Healthcare Education For The Indigent, John M. Conry

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

Hospitality and health care are clearly connected, both etymologically and practically. Health care has traditionally been delivered in hospitals. Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac developed the concept and practice of Vincentian health care, demonstrating a preferential option for the poor. It is important that those who work in healthcare understand and remain committed to Vincentian and hospitality based health care, particularly for the indigent and marginalized. The need for Vincentian and hospitality-based health care remains relevant and necessary in contemporary society, as there remains health inequity, particularly for the poor.

Table Of Contents

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

No abstract provided.

Editors

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

No abstract provided.

Cover Page

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

No abstract provided.

Access To Healthy Foods: A Descriptive Analysis Of Farmers’ Markets, Food Deserts & Usda Food Assistance Programs In Tennessee Census Tracts, Twanda D. Wadlington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Food deserts are a growing problem in the United States, and occur in areas of low-income where people have limited access to healthy foods. In response, the presence of farmers’ markets has grown exponentially, and improved healthy food access. Additionally, the USDA has strived to connect families to healthy foods through food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). This study investigated the relationship between farmers’ markets, their acceptance of food assistance benefits, and their locations within Tennessee …

Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, And American Capitalism, Kris Principe

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

Pope Francis’ writing of both Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel) and Laudato Si’ (On Care For Our Common Home) has led several in the popular press to comment on the Pope’s distrust of capitalism. Here, the pope’s commentary is reconciled with the American perspective on capitalism. Consumer sovereignty and corporate governance, carried out in accordance with the three pillars of Catholic Social Justice of human dignity, solidarity and subsidiarity, can fulfill the Pope’s mandate in Evangelii Gaudium.

On Evangelii Gaudium: An Asia/Pacific Perspective, Young Back Choi

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

Evangelii Gaudium is largely divided into two parts: one is on evangelism and the other concerns the social and economic conditions of the time in which evangelism is to take place. The chief aim of Evangelii Gaudium is to restore, as an integral part of sharing the joy of the Gospel, the dignity of the poor, which is presumably lost because of inequality in the modern society. Pope Francis admits that “… neither the Pope nor the Church have a monopoly on the interpretation of social realities or the proposal of solutions to contemporary problems”. Pope Francis offers his views/diagnoses …

Evangelii Gaudium: A European Perspective, Salvatore Moccia

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

In order to understand the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, we have to analyze the strategic roots of this Pope, a shepherd who lived his life with the smell of the sheep. Only if we recognize the “great enemy” we can fully understand all the Papal “No’s” of the Encyclical: no to an economy of exclusion, no to the new idolatry of money, no to a financial system which rules rather than serves, and no to the inequality which spawns violence. We believe that Pope Francis, with his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, has updated most of the Franciscan reflections on the …

Africa And An Economy Of Universal Human Solidarity: In The Footsteps Of Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium, Laurenti Magesa

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

In his recent Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium or The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis indicated the shortcomings of capitalism, the economic order dominant in the world today. The inhuman social conditions Francis has attributed to global capitalism can be observed concretely in the lives of the peoples of the African continent. As a result, there exists within Africa itself, on the one hand, and between Africa and other regions of the world, on the other, a cavernous gap between the rich and the poor classes. The main problem is that poverty revolves around fundamental injustices in the creation, distribution, …

Latin America: When The Pope’S Economic Message Finds Home, Denise Chrispim Marin

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

When Pope Francis wrote that “we have to say ‘thou shalt not’ to an economy of exclusion and inequality”, this new “commandment” could not find a more challenging audience than in Latin America. According to United Nations Development Program (UNPD) data, Latin America was the only region in the world that has managed to reduce the income inequality in the last decade. In this same region, alternative forms of doing business are flourishing as a result of the social, cultural and environmental engagement of old and new companies, either for the sake of their image or for their own conviction. …

Economy Of Exclusion: Global Perspectives On Pope Francis On Capitalism, Charles Clark

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

Twenty-eight years after the fall of communism and final victory of capitalism, there is increasing unease with the ideology and lived reality of capitalism around the world, and even in America (the Cold War victor). While it is impossible for any one entry to fully represent a continent’s perspective, it is hoped that geographic diversity will also reflect the diversity in the lived experience of capitalism. In challenging capitalism, Pope Francis is thus joining a long tradition of popes who have critiqued both the ideal and the reality of it. The values of capitalism are those that led the rich …

Table Of Contents

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

No abstract provided.

Editors

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

No abstract provided.

Cover Page

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

No abstract provided.

How Useful Is Gsv As An Environmental Observation Tool? An Analysis Of The Evidence So Far., Katherine Nesse, Leah Airt

SPU Works

Researchers in many disciplines have turned to Google Street View to replace pedestrian- or carbased in-person observation of streetscapes. It is most prevalent within the research literature on the relationship between neighborhood environments and public health but has been used as diverse as disaster recovery, ecology and wildlife habitat, and urban design. Evaluations of the tool have found that the results of GSV-based observation are similar to the results from in-person observation although the similarity depends on the type of characteristic being observed. Larger, permanent and discrete features showed more consistency between the two methods and smaller, transient and judgmental …

Mobile-Based Sidewalk Inventory App For Smart Communities, Health, And Safety, Madhav Erraguntla, Dursun Delen, Rupesh K. Agrawal, Karthic Madanagopal, Richard Mayer

Suburban Sustainability

As the United States and other nations strive to cope with the obesity epidemic (NCHS, 2015), progressive communities are developing sidewalk infrastructure to promote physical activity and health. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that community-based interventions like neighborhood walk, bike programs etc. have shown to be effective in promoting physical activity and health. Smart cities are embracing the development of community trails and promoting their use to increase physical activity among youth and adults. System implementation, data collection, and analysis were performed from January 2015 through July 2015. To promote these objectives, communities and cities need accurate information …

The Opioid Epidemic: A Practice And Policy Perspective, Gail D'Onofrio

Center for Policy Research

I will be talking about the escalating opioid epidemic and some innovative solutions my colleagues and I at Yale University and throughout the state of Connecticut, are working on to mitigate the consequences of this public health crisis.

Food Justice Youth Development: Using Photovoice To Study Urban School Food Systems, Krista Harper, Catherine Sands, Diego Angarita, Molly Totman, Monica Maitin, Jonell Sostre Rosado, Jazmin Colon, Nick Alger

Catherine Sands

Table Of Contents, Marc E. Gillespie

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

No abstract provided.

Editors, Marc E. Gillespie

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

No abstract provided.

Cover Page, Marc E. Gillespie

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Housing Insecurity On Community Health Outcomes: Exploring Collective Community Solutions And Housing Models In The Western Addition, Jacqueline V. Brown, Jacqueline Victoria Brown

Master's Projects and Capstones

In a city where housing is scarce and prices continue to rise, the lower income residents of the Western Addition are in panic. Historically, the Western Addition/Fillmore is ground zero for Urban Renewal. This community is still bouncing back from the negative effects of the out migration of Black residents, Japanese internment, and rapid gentrification. For twenty years, this part of the city was known as Harlem of the West due to its world-renowned Jazz and Blues composers, and is informally known as “Tha ‘Mo”. San Francisco has set the tone nationally for public, mixed income, and private housing that …

Healthcare And Homelessness: How Can We Better Service The Health Needs Of Homeless Individuals? A Case Study Of The City Of Worcester, Ma, Kali Adams

International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

Health care for the homeless is a major problem in American communities. Understanding the gaps, barriers and limitations in this system is imperative to providing homeless populations appropriate care. This research aims to understand the gaps in the homeless system of Worcester, Massachusetts through interviews with hospital staff and employees of agencies working with the homeless population. Analysis revealed an extremely divided system between provision of health care and provision of social services to Worcester’s homeless population. Across these two systems there was limited to no collaboration, communication and understanding. In order to provide more adequate care to homeless individuals, …

Gis Internship At Umass Medical School Information Technology Department, Qiming Shi M.S.

International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

Abstract

GIS INTERNSHIP AT UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL IFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Qiming Shi

This paper summarizes my internship at the University of Massachusetts Medical School Information Technology Department in Worcester, MA, which lasted for 1 year. I worked on several projects correlating health and disease outcomes to spatial and temporal factors where I not only brought my technical skills in GIS but also turned my solution into a useful web application, using R Shiny.

It was a great learning and professional experience, and I learned a great deal about R programming and public health GIS.

I would highly recommend Internship at Umass …

Illegitimate Bodies In Legitimate Times: Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Movement, Brian Culp

Faculty and Research Publications

Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concepts of state racism and biopower, the author of the 26th Delphine Hanna Lecture presents several claims: (a) that the idea of the illegitimate outsider in Western world governments like the United States has largely been influenced by ancient Greek ideals, (b) that a host of policies and intentional actions by power brokers create derision and hierarchies between “old” and “new” immigrant groups, and (c) neoliberal ideology couched in actions that aim “to protect the state” is nothing more than a recoding of traditional racist rhetoric that expands systemic racism. The author identifies the capabilities approach, …

Identifying Corners Stores As The Future Of Healthy Food Access In African American Communities, Victor Romano, Jennifer Lee, Elliott Royal, Katherine Metzo, William Ruth, Theodore Hartsook

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

For many people, the corner store remains the main grocer, or the only source of sustenance in minority communities. This study examined the distribution of corner stores as a future reference point to provide healthy food access to predominantly African American communities that lack full service grocery stores. Business data was obtained from respective county by use of Standard Industrial Codes. Each corner store was then categorized by either being Full Service (Stores that sell fresh produce, fresh meat, fresh dairy, and processed foods) or Non-Full Service (stores that do not sell all four categories of foods included in the …

Quality Of Water In Relation To Diarrheal Disease Incidence In Obunga, Tianna Herman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Kenyan cities are experiencing a serious dilemma in dealing with the large influx of people from rural parts of the country to the cities. Most people come to the city in pursuit of better opportunities and jobs. Rapid urban growth with little planning and preparation by the national and county governments has led to the development of informal settlements. These informal settlements are characterized by poor environmental conditions that predispose their residents for poor health conditions. Because of their illegal status, most residents of informal settlements in Kenya do not receive government services such as water, drainage, sewerage, and rubbish …

Quietly Conscious: A Discussion Of Fetal Personhood And Abortion, Gabriella Graziani

Exigence

This document examines the Abortion debate by specifically discussing fetal personhood. The author first summarizes the history of the abortion debate and asserts that the argument over life at conception is a not a new concept. The author further addresses the number of abortions compared to live births in the Fredericksburg area, making sure to promote the serious nature of this problem. By first exploring the concept of fetal pain, it is concluded that though there is not scientific certainty on the topic, some scientist assert that it could be an emerging problem if more study was put into the …

Impact Of Plans, Finance, And Zoning Policies On What Developers Choose To Build, Michele Ann Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While there is considerable academic research on the intersection of comprehensive plans, finance policies, zoning policies and how these factors influence real estate developers' choice of what land to develop and what buildings to construct on that land, little is understood about whether these three variables promote or hinder real estate developers' choice of whether to build communities that promote healthy living. Using urban planning theory as the foundation, the purpose of this correlational study was to determine how real estate developers' decisions are made to support healthy New Urbanism development in the United States. Secondary data from the Urban …