A Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Residents' Physical Environment in Eastside and Southwest Detroit, Michigan: A Case Study of a Participatory Public Health Evaluation and Intervention
Presented by: Stephanie Farquhar, University of North Carolina; Erminia Ramirez, Community Health and Social Services

This session will consider multiple methods of assessing urban blight and deterioration [e.g., vacant lots, illegal dump sites, abandoned factories, odors] by including community residents in the evaluation design, data collection, and analysis. The case study is drawn from an NIEHS/EPA-funded program in Detroit, Michigan. Presentation goals include familiarizing session participants with 1) the principles of community-based participatory public health research; 2) multiple methods of assessing environmental stressors; 3) the benefits and challenges of involving community members; and 4) specific “best practices” and “lessons learned” during the one-year assessment and intervention design. Session participants will be encouraged to share their experiences with community involvement and mobilization efforts. The participants also will contribute to a “physical environment assets mapping” exercise to learn to apply the tools learned during the session to his/her own community.

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