Towards an Architecture of Allyship
In 1959, sociologist Peter Townsend set about visiting older people’s care homes across the UK, which were a relatively new concept at the time. A product of the postwar consensus and burgeoning welfare state in the UK, they were designed to replace the Victorian workhouses where an increasing number of older people of limited means were being housed in harsh conditions. Many care homes were set up in these former workhouses, which were spaces designed to be a hostile deterrent to worklessness. Their architectural assemblages reinforced authoritarian discipline and took many principles from prison design.
As the Coal Industry Fades, Life Expectancies in Coal Country Shift
The coal industry can damage human health in myriad ways via dangerous working conditions and harmful pollution. But the income opportunities offered by the industry can also provide much-needed stability for certain communities, such as those in Appalachia’s coal country.
SPH studies link infertility to living in redlined neighborhood, decades after redlining outlawed
Two studies led by researchers at Boston University’s School of Public Health are the first to identify a connection between redlining, a historically racist housing policy, and a lower likelihood of pregnancy. “Our hypothesis here was that we know that Black populations have higher rates of infertility. We know they’re also more likely to be exposed to historical neighborhood redlining,” said Mary Willis, an assistant professor of epidemiology at SPH who co-authored the first paper and was first author on the second.
SPH in India: Partnering for Progress on Disease, Climate, and Sanitation
As India launches its first national census in 15 years following a COVID-related postponement from 2021, researchers at the School of Public Health and their Indian collaborators foresee opportunities to strengthen and scale their existing portfolios of work on air pollution, sanitation access, tuberculosis, and maternal and child health in the world’s most populous country.
In Pakistan’s deadly heat, low-cost cooling tools offer a lifeline for pregnant women
Canvas canopies, hand fans, damp cloths and solar reflective paint may not sound like elaborate medical interventions. But in Pakistan’s hottest neighborhoods, they can act as a lifeline for pregnant women and newborns from low-income households.
In a recent trial of affordable cooling solutions led by researchers at Pakistan’s Aga Khan University, low-tech interventions were able to cut indoor temperatures by 3-4° Celsius (5-7° Fahrenheit). Air-conditioning, and even fans, are often not available due to unreliable electricity supply.
National WIC Association, 13 Food and Nutrition Organizations Reject the Trump Administration’s Proposal to Cut WIC’s Fruit and Vegetable Benefits
Late Friday afternoon, the White House released President Trump’s budget request for fiscal year 2026. This budget proposal outlines the programs Trump wants Congress to slash—or eliminate entirely—when they vote on government funding. The proposal includes severe reductions to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), threatening the health and nutrition of millions of low-income families.
A Candid Conversation About Climate Change
Gregory Wellenius is the Beverly A. Brown Professor for the Improvement of Urban Health at Boston University School of Public Health, where he serves as director of the Center for Climate and Health. As an environmental epidemiologist, Dr. Wellenius is dedicated to addressing the health impacts of climate change through research, teaching, and engagement. His research examines how climate hazards like extreme heat affect human health and generates actionable evidence to inform interventions that meaningfully reduce the burden of extreme weather events.
Living in Historically Redlined Neighborhoods May Reduce One’s Ability to Conceive
Living in a historically redlined neighborhood may reduce a person’s ability to become pregnant, according to two new studies led by researchers at the School of Public Health. Published in the American Journal of Epidemiology (AJE) and Epidemiology, the studies found that people residing in redlined neighborhoods—neighborhoods that were subjected to the historic practice of mortgage lending discrimination by the federal government—were less likely to conceive than those who lived in neighborhoods the government deemed favorable for mortgage lending.
Can Design Turn Schools Into the New Third Space?
In modern school design, the most critical spaces for student development may not be classrooms — they may be the areas in between. Third spaces like commons, libraries and even hallways represent an untapped frontier for fostering the youth’s social and mental well-being. They’re crucial for community health, but they are steadily declining. This presents a unique opportunity for educational facilities.
Letter: Need town shelter available 24/7
What a winter this is! With frigid temperatures refusing to budge, I can’t imagine what it would be like not to have a warm home to retreat to, can you? Recalling MATS director Susan Howard’s Ledger-Transcript article of Sept. 5, we cannot look away from the homelessness in our region, especially this winter.