|
A professional services division of the Florida State University Center for Demography and Population Health, the Healthy Communities Program,
has been established to provide academically sound and directly relevant policy analysis to public and private decision makers in Florida.
The service plays an active role in preparing students for careers in firms that depend on demographic expertise.
The Healthy Community Program is supported by Associates in the Center for Demography and Population Health working on
identifying and explaining the causes and consequences social, economic and population trends. CDPH houses researchers from
multiple disciplines including Economics, Urban and Regional Planning, Geography, Sociology, Statistics, Epidemiology, and Medicine.
Associates are integral members of specialized research programs including concurrency, regional visioning, health and aging,
social demography, population economics and environmental planning.
Healthy Communities Program Capacity and Qualifications:
Dr. Melanie Simmons, Director of the Healthy Communities Program, serves as principal analyst for consulting projects.
After many years in academic, public and private sectors, she realized the potential for methods that combine the scientific
evidence and population statistics to forecast health, social and economic impacts on specific populations for plans, policies
and development projects. This information is vital to local decision makers in creating sustainable, healthy and prosperous
communities. Doctoral and masters level students work on projects and faculty provide technical assistance as well
as peer-review of all reports produced.
Dr. Simmons partners and works with the American Planning Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state
and local health, growth management, transportation, environmental protection and education agencies. She has worked with Seattle
Washington, Denver Colorado and firms such as CNL Real Estate and Development, Kaiser Permanente and the March of Dimes. Her recent
speaking engagements include the Sarasota County Sustainable Communities Workshop and the American Public Health Association and the
American Planning Association Conferences. She authored a section in the Planning and Urban Design best seller Sustainable Urbanism:
Urban Design with Nature edited by Doug Farr Chair of the LEED Neighborhood Development Committee.
Upcoming Events:
Critical Issues Symposium on School Siting and Healthy Communities, 3 & 4th, April 2008. Funded by the DeVoe Moore Center Co-sponsored by
the Center for Demography & Population Health Florida State University.
Areas of Policy Research:
Regional Visioning and Demographics: (with cdph.fsu.edu)
Regional visioning policy areas include economic development, regional transportation, planning, education, smart
quality growth, revenue creation and quality of life.
Other areas of research:
Growth Management and Concurrency
Land Use and Geography
Labor Force and Market Research
Economic Development
Impact Fees (with www.cmorancpa.com)
Aging and Public Policy (also with www.pepperinstitute.org)
Health and the Built Environment:
Health Elements in Comprehensive Plans (with fsu.edu/~durp/_People/higgins.html)
Health Impact Assessments (with www.planning.org/physicallyactive and www.naccho.org)
Health Care Cost Savings and Smart Growth (with www.HealthyDevelopment.us)
Indicators for Healthy Built Environment (with )
Physical Activity and Obesity Aging, Independence, and Mobility (with www.pepperinstitute.org)
Health and Early Childhood Research:
Birth-related Medical Malpractice and Patient Safety (with med.fsu.edu/HealthAffairs)
Pre and Interconception Care (with www.marchofdimes.com)
Early Childhood Development (with www.cpeip.fsu.edu)
School Health (with www.doh.state.fl.us and www.fldoe.org/BII/CSHP/)
Preterm/Low Birth Weight Births, Infant Mortality, Prenatal Care (with
www.doh.state.fl.us/family/mc and www.cpeip.fsu.edu)
Climate Change:
Accounting for Carbon Offsets for Cap and Trade (with www.carbonverify.com)
|
