Imagine a place where people living in a neighborhood on one side of a street live twenty years longer than do those living in the neighborhood on the other side. Unfortunately, there is no need to imagine, because such a place exists in the relatively small city of Nashua, New Hampshire. In fact, this type of disparity can be found in cities all across the United States. Such disparities are due, in part, to inequalities in the urban landscape. From availability of amenities, to the spatial mismatch of employment opportunity, to issues of environmental injustice. Collectively, these and other life inequalities can have a significant and deleterious effect on the morbidity and mortality rates of various populations.
Using data released for the first time in 2018 as part of the United States Small-Area Life Expectancy Project (USALEEP), this research examines differences in life expectancy in an analysis of urban settings. The data and resulting analysis help to portend the need to bring planning and policy awareness to stark differences in life expectancies at the local level. Achieving progress in quality of life through sustainable development, particularly at the neighborhood level, requires careful planning that involves community input and seeks to attain equity for all.
Presenter: Christopher Cusack
Christopher Cusack is a Professor in the Department of Geography, Outdoor Recreation, and Planning at Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire. His areas of specialization include Sustainability Planning and Geospatial Technologies. Chris has served as the President of the New England/St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society (NESTVAL), as well as Chair of the Regional Development and Planning Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers. Highlights of his work include multiple publications co-authored by Keene State College students. His most memorable and enjoyable professional experiences involve national and international travel with his students. In 2015, Chris received the Distinguished Teacher Award from Keene State College. During the Fall 2019 semester he is a Fulbright Teaching Scholar at the University of Lodz, in Lodz, Poland.