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UD4H's "N-PHAM" Health Tool Awarded Patent

National Public Health Assessment Model (N-PHAM)

In February 2023, Urban Design 4 Health (UD4H) was awarded a patent that builds on nearly two decades of work developing the National Public Health Assessment Model (N-PHAM). The patent covers the ability to predict health and economic impacts of machine learning-detected pedestrian environmental features along with N-PHAM's walkability, built and natural environmental metrics, and local demographic characteristics. The award was based on a 2018 patent application that included the ability to prescribe place-based optimal design solutions to maximize health and economic benefits. N-PHAM is built on decades of peer-reviewed published scholarly research conducted by UD4H researchers with grants from the U.S. EPA, National Institutes of Health, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, among others. N-PHAM addresses critical gaps in the transportation, land use, community design and health planning processes.

The National Public Health Assessment Model (N-PHAM) comprises a growing set of capabilities used for a range of clients from a dozen regions in North America. N-PHAM allows communities to obtain more accurate and granular place-based quantification of the built environment that can influence community health and active travel. N-PHAM predicts chronic disease and transport-related physical activity outcomes from over 50 input variables such as land use, accessibility, infrastructure, and demographics. The models continue to be improved and validated against national health outcome data to ensure widespread applicability.

Contact UD4H

To learn more about UD4H and N-PHAM's ability to help you incorporate health and related economic impacts of proposed transportation and land use actions in your planning processes.
For more information about the award: Methods & Systems for Detecting Environment Features in Images, Predicting Location-based Health Metrics based on Environmental Features, & Improving Health Outcomes & Costs

This new patent enhances N-PHAM in three critical ways:

Inputs - automated environmental auditing tool using artificial intelligence to process imagery to identify pedestrian microscale data
Models - new health outcome models that integrate microscale environmental data
Outcomes - automatically optimizes place-based environmental changes to achieve the best health impacts while also considering financial costs and benefits

Built and natural environmental features that promote pedestrian and bicycling activity

Key Highlights:

Provides key information needed for effective decisions regarding land use, transportation, and development, to maximize desirable health outcomes and economic benefits (or to minimize costs)
Is an evidence-based prescriptive tool to identify environmental changes to enhance human health and well-being
Enables users (e.g., urban planners, health practitioners, and others) to identify areas where investments are needed to promote healthier living conditions
The invention can be used by developers of new communities or neighborhoods to optimize the design of such areas for promoting healthy living conditions

National Public Health Assessment (N-PHAM) Applications

UD4H continues to assist agencies to better incorporate health-related outcomes into the transportation, land use, and community design planning process. A few examples are provided below.

Blueprint Health Indicators Study for the Sacramento Council of Governments

Sullivan County Strategic Transportation Plan for Garnet Health

Livable Centers Study - Henderson College Area Study for the City of Henderson

Las Vegas Transportation Health Study for the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada

Genesee-Finger Lakes (NY) Public Health Assessment Model for Genesee Transportation Council

Health Equity Study using N-PHAM with Envision Tomorrow for the San Joaquin Council of Governments

Community Health Assessment for the Houston I-45 Freeway Expansion Area for Air Alliance Houston

N-PHAM is the only peer-reviewed, scientifically validated health-focused scenario planning tool of its kind. Stay tuned for new versions of N-PHAM forthcoming soon!

N-PHAM Sponsors

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Resources Legacy Fund
California Strategic Growth Council
California Office of Policy Research
San Diego Association of Governments via National U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention Grant

Publications

Continuing its role as a groundbreaking research enterprise, UD4H has published several peer-reviewed journal articles using N-PHAM. Several additional scientific and case study papers are forthcoming soon.

1. Creation & Application of the San Diego Public Health Assessment Model (SD-PHAM) in the Journal of Transport Policy

2. Active Travel & Social Justice: Addressing Disparities & Promoting Health Equity through a Novel Approach to Regional Transportation Planning in Social Science & Medicine

3. Bringing Health into Transportation & Land Use Scenario Planning: Creating a National Public Health Assessment Model (N-PHAM) in the Journal of Transport & Health

Read more of our publications and past newsletters.

UD4H can help you integrate health, equity, and the environment more fully into your work. Our innovative, evidence-based, and objectively-measured data and tools are used to promote human health, social equity, environmental resilience, and sustainable economic development.

Learn more about the services we offer. Contact us if you would like to discuss ways we can help your organization.

- The UD4H Team

Urban Design 4 Health (UD4H) develops evidence and tools to support healthy, sustainable, energy secure transportation and land use decision making.

Visit our website:
www.ud4h.com

Copyright © 2023 Urban Design 4 Health, Inc., All rights reserved.

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Jim Chapman, MSCE | Managing Principal
Urban Design 4 Health | urbandesign4health.com

Office: (585) 775-9020

Email: jchapman@ud4h.com

Pronouns: he/him/his

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