As a continuation from yesterday’s post, I introduce Part 2 from the “Planning Tools for Healthier Communities” segment of TransForm’s Annual Summit on Saturday. Yesterday I discussed how our environment affects our health. Now I’d like to have a discussion about correcting that disparity.
Robert Ogilvie spoke explicitly about how we can help solve this problem. We all have an idea of what I healthy community looks like, but it’s the journey that often hinders us. His suggestion was to use the power of the Redevelopment Agencies and Economic Development Agencies to examine the state of a neighborhood at large. They have the ability to acquire and assemble tracts of land through eminent domain (among other laws), and to use financing strategies to make large projects viable. But to me, his mention of one particular strategy was most interesting.
Blight is a word I mostly associated with boarded up buildings and dark alleys. I seldom thought of the technical definition as it applies to codes and regulations about quality of life. Mr. Ogilvie introduced the two forms: physical and economic. Physical blight is the typical run-down broken building image that we all have when hearing the term. Economic blight is when an area affectively doesn’t live up to it’s potential. It’s simply saying that an area is really underperforming; they often have undesirable elements like liquor stores and lack community elements like groceries and banks. Both types of blight are a part of creating redevelopment, and spurring change in neighborhoods.
To put it bluntly, this is saying that a lack of economic activity, or an abundance of bars and overcrowding is pretense for blighting an area. This tool can help transform areas that are unhealthy for inhabitants into communities that ensure good well-being. There is, of course, always a fear of gentrification and profiling with redevelopment agencies, which must be addressed. All large government powers must be balanced – but the potential for great assistance and bettering of lives is truly astounding.
Modern day planning is all about increasing the quality of life, which can be measured by the health of a community.
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