the relationship between smart growth and health in urban black

Abstract # 1.3.08: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
SMART GROWTH AND HEALTH IN URBAN BLACK
COMMUNITIES
Representative (Able) Mable Thomas
Founding Director
Greater Vine City Opportunities Program, Inc.
Former Representative
Georgia’s 56 Congressional District (D)
Representative (Able) Mable Thomas
For over 26 years, “Able” Mable Thomas has been at the forefront fighting for freedom, justice, and
equality for all Georgians and disenfranchised people around the world. Whether as a community
organizer, civil and human rights activist or elected official, she has been a consistent force for good and
peace. That is the nature of “Able” Mable, a servant of the people who will always answer the call when
asked to; especially by those who have been historically overlooked and underappreciated.
Her emergence onto the political stage began in 1984 when she was chosen as a presidential delegate for
candidate Jesse Jackson at the Democratic National Convention held in San Francisco, California. While
there, she formally announced her candidacy for the Georgia House of Representatives where she
eventually won a highly contested battle with a long standing incumbent.
In 1997, she again sought public office winning the Atlanta City Council, Post 1 At-Large seat which allowed
her to focus on quality of life issues most impacting people throughout Atlanta.
In 2002, Mable Thomas, for a second time, beat an incumbent and served the citizens of House District 56
for six years. Now she is vying for another opportunity to work with local, state and federal leaders to
actualize her vision of a house district where people, not politics rule the day.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
SMART GROWTH AND
HEALTH IN URBAN
BLACK COMMUNITIES
SOCIAL
DETERMINANTS
COMMUNITY
THE
BUILT
OF HEALTH
COLLABORATION
ENVIRONMENT
“Able” Mable Thomas
Georgia State Representative 56TH District
Founder, Greater Vine City Opportunities Program, Inc.
Xavier University Ninth Disparities Conference • New Orleans, Louisiana • Tuesday, March
1, 2016
INNER CITY BLUES
Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on the have nots
Money, we make it
Fore we see it you take it
Oh, make me
wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
This ain't livin’
this ain't livin’
No, no baby, this ain't livin‘
No, no, no
Marvin Gaye
1971
INTRODUCTION & GOALS
Improve living conditions
• Reclaim historically significant urban Black
communities
Research models used in mainstream innovations
• Restore economic vibrancy
Combine social determinants of health, the built
environment & community collaboration
• Move the needle on Social Determinants of Health
SMART GROWTH
A transportation and urban planning approach
• Concentrates growth in compact walkable urban
centers to avoid sprawl
• Advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable,
bicycle-friendly land use
• Includes mixed-use development & housing
choices
IMPACT ON URBAN
COMMUNITIES
• Displacement of people, services and facilities
• Loss of sense of “place”
• Increases economic subordination and isolation
• Creates and compounds negative self-image
OUR PROCESS
• Combines trends:
local economy, innovation hubs, new urbanism,
demographic inversion, pop ups, co-working,
incubators, accelerators, crowd-funding
• Identifies health implications of structural barriers
• Highlights a community effort
OUR MODEL
Intersecting disciplines
= Increased effectiveness
Social
Determinants
of Health
The Built
Environment
Community
Collaboration
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
OF HEALTH
Economic
Stability
Health
Care
The Built
Environment
Education
Social and
Community
Context
Those conditions and situations into which one is born, works, lives
and is educated. Social determinants of health are shaped by
the distribution of money, power, and resources throughout local
communities, nations, and the world.
http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health
THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
BANKS
HOSPITALS
HOUSING
SCHOOLS
RECREATION
...the physical parts of where we live and work (e.g., homes,
buildings, streets, open spaces, and infrastructure)…it influences
a person’s level of physical activity.
http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health
COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
A NEIGHBORHOOD REIMAGINED
VINE CITY
ATLANTA, GA
GETTING STARTED
• Adaptive Reuse
• Reattachment to
people and place
• Reidentifying a
place
to reclaim
ENGLISH AVENUE REIMAGINED
CO.LOCATION
SENIOR FITNESS
ENGLISH AVENUE REIMAGINED
DAY CARE CENTER
COMMUNITY GARDEN
PARTNERSHIPS &
STAKEHOLDERS
• Neighborhood Planning Units
• Community groups (faith-based,
issue and gender-specific)
• Philanthropic entities & funding
sources (local, state, national)
• City, State & National
representatives
POLICIES & PIPELINES
Vine City
English Ave
• Meet with representatives
• Participate in agenda-setting
• Develop the language
SUMMARY & CONCLUSION
• Reclaim historically significant urban Black
communities
• Restore economic vibrancy
• Move the needle on Social Determinants of Health
THANK YOU!
“Able” Mable
Thomas
Founder, Greater Vine City
Opportunities Program, Inc.
mthomas949@gmail.com
Maggie Davenport
Audrey Davenport
MSW, Social Epidemiologist
Master of Architecture,
Designer
dmaven103@gmail.com
a.daven50@gmail.com