Urban Health Issues

October 1, 2019
The rise of densely populated cities brought new health challenges related to crowded living, poverty, and pollution. Crume, an environmental health professional, offers an overview, first covering historical perspective and then addressing specific issues, such as air quality, chemical exposure, climate change, aging, crime and violence, food quality and availability. Each chapter defines an issue and its impact on urban health, followed by examples of measures cities are taking to combat the problem and recommendations for city dwellers. There are also text boxes with city spotlights and expert commentary that demonstrate that working on the problems can produce results. Seeing what Venice has done to combat flooding, how New York City reduced crime, and how Freetown, Sierra Leone handled an Ebola epidemic prove that, although progress may be slow, efforts often pay off. A glossary and a directory of resources offer access to further information. An appendix provides steps to healthy urban living. With a broad range of topics from solid waste management to green buildings and sustainable development, Urban Health Issues is an excellent resource for school and public libraries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)