What’s this about?

The Built Environment & Health (BEH) project is an interdisciplinary program of research at Columbia University. Led by epidemiologist Andrew Rundle, BEH uses spatial data to examine the implications of the built environment, including land use, public transit, and housing, for physical activity, diet, obesity, and other aspects of health. With a focus on New York City, BEH research will inform public policy to promote health in the city and metropolitan area. BEH is affiliated with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars program at Columbia.

Media Kit

Essential Facts of the Built Environment and Health Project

The BEH media kit will be the place where journalists and program representatives alike can download the essentials for reporting on the project, in a useful format. Stay tuned!

BEH Mission and Overview Coming Soon!

Project Photo Gallery Coming Soon!

Publications Coming Soon!

People

Judith Jacobson

Investigator

Judith Jacobson is an associate professor of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. She studies cancer, asthma, and the role of behavior in health.

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James Quinn

Research Associate

James Quinn is the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analyst based at the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy.

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Articles

Initial results on the Association between the Built Environment and BMI

Research Briefs

In the BEH group’s first publication, Andrew Rundle and colleagues examine the relationship between built environment characteristics and obesity in New York City, replicating measures widely used in previous studies of other cities.

New Projects

Advocates for New Urbanism or “active living” often identify zoning as a policy strategy to make cities more walkable. Because zoning regulates both building size and land use, changes in zoning can affect both population density and the availability of shops and restaurants within a walkable distance. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s sustainability plan, PlaNYC, advocates rezoning city neighborhoods to allow higher-density development near subway stops, allowing more New Yorkers to use public transit instead of private automobiles.

Funded Projects

With funding from the Obesity and the Built Environment initiative of the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, the BEH group is examining the association between built environment characteristics and physical activity, diet, and body size in three samples of New York City-area residents.

Announcements

NIEHS Supports BEH Work with NYC Food & Fitness Partnership

New Grant

The National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS) recently awarded funding to BEH for a new project that combines research, education, and collaboration with city and community agencies. Under the new grant, BEH will develop detailed GIS measures of New York City’s resources for physical activity. In addition, BEH will work with the New York City Food & Fitness Partnership, a broad coalition of city agencies and community groups joining together to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

Built Environment and Health Project