Tackling vacant lots, built environments to improve health, well-being

Renewed $5 million in CDC funding to the University of Michigan expands academic-community partnerships in Flint, Michigan

[Link]Concept photo of a vacant lot. Image credit: Nicole Smith, made with Midjourney

For 26 years, the Prevention Research Center of Michigan has researched ways to create safer, more inviting and accessible neighborhood spaces and improve physical and mental health.

Now, with $5 million in renewed funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the center will continue its community-based participatory research projects through at least 2029.

The focus of the next five years will be building on prior work in Flint, including evaluating the effectiveness of vacant land reuse programs meant to create equitable and accessible spaces for physical activity. The center's goal is to reduce crime, boost social capital, enhance well-being and increase physical activity opportunities.

Researchers from the center will also partner with local health departments to specifically address differences in physical activity participation among African American and Latino adults.

[Link]Roshanak Mehdipanah

"Transforming vacant land into vibrant spaces for activity ensures that everyone has the opportunity to reclaim their health and build stronger, equitable communities," said Roshanak Mehdipanah, principal investigator of the project and an associate professor of health behavior and health equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, which houses the center.

Flint, a city struggling with industrial and population decline, faces challenges such as a shrinking property tax base, high vacancy rates and reduced resources to combat the physical decline of the built environment. Research shows that high vacancy rates are often linked to higher crime, and lower physical activity rates affect residents' physical health and psychological well-being.

[Link]Marc Zimmerman

"Flint has unique challenges, but at the same time it is a resilient city with residents and organizations all working together to do great things. Our work is designed with some of these local partners to transform these challenges into opportunities for health improvements," said Marc Zimmerman, also a principal investigator of the center and professor of health behavior and health equity.

Zimmerman is a leading expert in community resilience and firearm violence prevention and also serves as co-director of the U-M Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention.

The Prevention Research Center of Michigan is one of 20 CDC-funded Prevention Research Centers across the nation, each tasked with working on a core research project in partnership with community organizations. Since 1998, U-M has hosted a prevention research center, largely focused on the Flint community.

A cornerstone of the center is community-based participatory research, which emphasizes the involvement of community members at all stages of the research process to ensure community perspectives and needs shape the initiatives. The center's community advisory board is critical in providing insights and fostering trust between researchers and residents and ensuring the research is culturally relevant and practically applicable.

Mehdipanah, who is also the director of the U-M Housing Solutions for Health Equity and co-lead of Public Health IDEAS for Creating Healthy and Equitable Cities, says the center's approach to the project is focused on partnerships with local grassroots organizations to "honor efforts that are already being done."

"Our ultimate goal is to inform best practices that can then be adapted and applied by other communities," she said.

Written by Destiny Cook, School of Public Health

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