Transportation infrastructure decisions contribute to social, economic, and health inequities in the U.S. Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) may improve understanding of potential strategies to mitigate adverse effects on quality of life from planned developments. We use the Gordie Howe International Bridge (GHIB), currently under construction in southwest Detroit, MI, as a case study to examine 15 years of community mobilization, which resulted in community benefits that included an HIA. We describe community engagement processes, household survey methods, and select findings of the baseline HIA, with a focus on their application to inform recommendations to promote quality of life. Baseline HIA results indicated significantly higher self-reported asthma rates among children living within 500 feet of trucking routes. Residents reported substantial economic (e.g., decreased home values), health (e.g., adverse outcomes, lack of health care access), and environmental (e.g., air pollution) concerns related to the GHIB. We discuss specific recommendations, based on HIA results, to reduce adverse impacts of the GHIB. These recommendations will inform ongoing community benefits negotiations. This case study provides lessons for community, academic, and government partners conducting HIAs, especially during building and operation of major infrastructure, and discusses their potential role in improving community engagement opportunities towards environmental justice.

According to recent projections, by the end of the century, Detroit, Michigan's average summer temperature will rise by 7-13°F. As a result, increased heat and heavy precipitation events will burden the city's infrastructure and population health, and likely lead to disproportionate distribution of related morbidity and mortality among the elderly, the chronically ill, and those who live in poverty-who comprise nearly 40% of the city's population. Meanwhile, over the last fifty years, Detroit has experienced perhaps the most severe economic downfall of all major U.S. cities, losing over half of its population and filing for bankruptcy in July 2013. As leaders struggle to rethink allocation of scarce municipal resources to meet residents' pressing basic needs, there has been effectively no capacity for climate change planning. Recognizing the compounding environmental and economic challenges residents face, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice convened the Detroit Climate Action Collaborative (DCAC) in 2011. DCAC is an extensive planning effort involving diverse government, private, academic, and community partners. Its goal 34 Michigan Journal of Sustainability is to develop the city's first Climate Action Plan, which will document baseline greenhouse gas emissions, map vulnerabilities, engage leaders and residents, and translate this information into mitigation and adaptation strategies. In this paper, we introduce the barriers to and opportunities for climate planning in Detroit and other cities experiencing high levels of depopulation, vacant buildings and lots, and disinvestment. Specifically, we present the DCAC's planning process, accomplishments, and next steps as a unique case study of community-driven climate planning in a legacy city.

No abstract

No abstract