[image: trb_2022-banner.png] Hello, On Monday, January 10, 2021, from 1:30 PM- 3:00 PM ET, Dr. Behram Wali <http://urbandesign4health.com/person/behram-wali>, Lead Research Scientist, and Dr. Lawrence Frank <http://urbandesign4health.com/person/lawrence-d-frank>, President from Urban Design 4 Health, will present three poster sessions at the 101st Annual Meeting <https://annualmeeting.mytrb.org/OnlineProgram> of the National Academies Transportation Research Board (TRB) <https://www.nationalacademies.org/trb/transportation-research-board> in Washington, D.C. Two presentations will be included as part of Poster Session 1150 <https://annualmeeting.mytrb.org/OnlineProgram/Details/17257>, “Innovations in Health-Related Transportation Research,” sponsored by the Standing Committee on Transportation and Public Health (AME70 <https://annualmeeting.mytrb.org/OnlineProgram/Details/17262#:~:text=and%20Public%20Health%20(-,AME70,-)>) and will focus on advancing knowledge at the intersection of health and transportation from the standpoints of research, practice, or policy. The two presentations by UD4H in this session are: *1) Causal Evaluation of the Health Effects of Light Rail Line: A Longitudinal Analysis of Objectively Assessed Active Travel and Health Care Costs (TRAM-22-01481 <https://annualmeeting.mytrb.org/OnlineProgram/Details/17257>)* - This presentation will examine the impact of the multi-year Rails & Health Study <http://urbandesign4health.com/projects/health-economic-effects-of-light-rail-lines> of a light rail transit (LRT) line intervention in Portland, OR on health care costs after controlling for travel behavior, built-environmental measures, and attitudinal predispositions/residential choices. - For a subgroup of treated individuals, the new LRT line decreased health care costs over time relative to the control group. Limitations and potential avenues for future research will be discussed. *2) A Heterogeneity-based National Public Health Assessment Modeling Framework (TRAM-22-02342 <https://annualmeeting.mytrb.org/OnlineProgram/Details/17257>)* - Creating new or retrofitting existing built environments encouraging active travel is challenging. The development of a national health assessment tool is further complicated by the lack of consistent geospatial travel behavior and health data at a national level. - This paper speaks to this major challenge through a USEPA-funded effort to quantify statistical relationships between the built environment and active travel outcomes that are nationally generalizable as part of the development of the National Public Health Assessment Model (N-PHAM) <http://urbandesign4health.com/projects/hia-plug-in-scenario-planning>. - Ultimately, the health impact assessment tool presented herein allows communities to obtain more accurate and granular place-based quantification of the mechanisms through which the built environment can influence active travel. The final UD4H presentation is included as part of Poster Session 1151 <https://annualmeeting.mytrb.org/OnlineProgram/Details/17262>, “Expanding Our COVID-19 Knowledge Base,” and will focus on the COVID-19 epidemic's profound impact on our lives, featuring research that aims to improve understanding of these effects on transportation, mobility, and health: *3) Treating Two Pandemics for the Price of One: Chronic and Infectious Disease Impacts of the Built and Natural Environment (TRAM-22-00283 <https://annualmeeting.mytrb.org/OnlineProgram/Details/17262>)* - Compact, walkable environments with greenspace support physical activity and reduce the risk for depression and several obesity-related chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease. - Recent evidence confirms that these chronic diseases increase the severity of COVID-19 infection and mortality risk. - Negative and significant relationships are observed between built and natural environment features and COVID-19 mortality when accounting for the effect of chronic disease. - This project leveraged a set of nationally consistent built and natural environmental measures from the National Environmental Database (NED) <http://urbandesign4health.com/projects/ned> developed by Urban Design 4 Health and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. - Results presented here suggest that creating walkable environments with greenspace is associated with reduced risk of chronic disease and COVID-19 infection/mortality. *Resources:* *View: 2022 TRB Annual Meeting Overview <https://www.trb.org/AnnualMeeting/AnnualMeeting.aspx>* *Download: 2022 TRB Annual Meeti <https://www.trb.org/AnnualMeeting/Program.aspx>**ng Program <https://www.trb.org/AnnualMeeting/Program.aspx>* Jim Chapman, MSCE | Managing Principal *Urban Design 4 Health *| urbandesign4health.com Rochester | San Diego | Atlanta | Boston | Seattle | Vancouver Office: (585) 775-9020 Email: jchapman(a)ud4h.com Pronouns: he/him/his [image: "Twitter: Urban Design 4 Health"] <https://twitter.com/UD4H_INC> [image: "LinkedIn: Urban Design 4 Health"] <https://www.linkedin.com/company/urban-design-4-health> [image: "Facebook: Urban Design 4 Health"] <https://www.facebook.com/urbandesign4health> [image: "Urban Design 4 Health"] <http://urbandesign4health.com/> CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information protected by law. 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