University of Pennsylvania graduate students and fellows conducted this health impact assessment (HIA) on the proposed Spring Garden Street Greenway in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 2.2 mile long greenway would connect the existing Delaware River and Schuylkill River Trails. The HIA examined how the greenway could potentially impact health through increased opportunities for active transportation and physical activity, traffic safety, economic development, and social capital. The HIA found that the proposed greenway road design could lead to a decrease in pollution from motor vehicles, which would likely decrease the incidents of respiratory illnesses. The HIA also found that increased recreational use could generate commercial and retail demand in the Spring Garden neighborhood along the greenway. The HIA made several recommendations including collaborating with neighborhood bike groups and businesses, and installing clear traffic signage and signs to local points of interest. The HIA also recommended creating a community advisory board to promote use of the Spring Garden Street Greenway, and serve as an organizing body for regular events and greenway cleanup activities.
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This Health Impact Assessment Report first appeared in The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health. The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health was originally developed by the Health Impact Project, formerly a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts. The creation of this resource was supported by a grant from the Health Impact Project. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Pew Charitable Trusts, or the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
