1. Land Use, Human Health and Climate Change: Convergence of Planning Problems for Michigan
David L. Skole
Center for Global Change and Earth Observations
Michigan State University

2. Major Questions What is health? What is sprawl?
How might sprawl affect health?
What is climate change?
How might climate change affect health?
What are the opportunities to improve health on both fronts?

3. What is health?
“a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”
- World Health Organization
Physical health
Mental health
Well-being
Livability

4. What is sprawl A pattern of urban regional development that features:
Land-extensive, low density, leapfrog
development
Segregation of land uses
Extensive road construction
Architectural homogeneity
Economic and racial homogeneity
Shift of development and capital investment from inner city to periphery
Absence of regional planning

5. Suburban
Development
Traditional
Development

9. Vehicle miles increases at a time when fleet efficiency is declining and per capita autos is approaching in some suburbs.

10. In the Lansing metro area, vehicle miles traveled increased by 16 percent between 1992 and Population increased by 2 percent over the same period.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation

11. Sprawl has had many negative consequences for health in new suburbs
Traffic congestion
Air pollution
Water and land pollution
Heat and temperature
Loss of open space
Loss of social capital

12. The generic problem Decentralization
Outer suburbs are experiencing a population boom
Suburbs garner the lion’s share of new housing and new home owners
Outer suburbs are experiencing most of the job growth
Poverty is becoming more concentrated in urban core
Urban metabolism is having an impact on the local and global environment

14. Land use induced vegetation changes…
…lead to urban heat island effect.

16. The Grand Rapids Growth Triangle:
Year 2020 projections

17. The Lantroit Megalopolis in 2020

18. How might sprawl affect health?
 air pollution
 CO2 emissions
 heat island effect
exercise
 car crashes
 pedestrian injuries
 water quantity and quality
 mental health consequences
 social capital

19. Air Pollution sources and effects
Ozone
Nox
Carbon monoxide
Particulates
Hydrocarbons
Lead
Sox
Air toxics
allergens
Produced by
Automobile traffic

20. Ozone Health Effects The most important pollutant in urban areas
Respiratory effects (ozone > PM):
Airway inflammation
Decreased air flow
Increased symptoms, ER visits, medication use, hospitalizations
Cardiovascular effects (PM > ozone)
Increased mortality
Immune effects
Increased susceptibility to infection

21. Groups most susceptible
Asthmatics
Children
The elderly
Those with underlying diseases

24. Expanding Heat Island from greenhouse gases and surface condition changes in heat exchange and albedo

25. Atlanta’s Heat Island, May 11, 1997

26. Changes in the Heat Island from 1972 to 1993

27. Regional Influence of the Heat Island

28. Heat and Ozone

29. Health Consequences of Heat
Heat syncope
Heat edema
Heat tetany
Heat cramps
Heat exhaustion
Heat stroke
Increasing
Severity

30. Chicago Heat Wave in 1995

31. Loss of physical activity
Population density
Employment density
Trip distances
Vehicle trips
Walking trips
Overweight
obesity