[Durham INC] Pls post: Duke-CEHI Community Assessment Project

[Brett Walters]

Friends, received a note from the folks at the Duke - Children’s
Environmental Health
Initiative (CEHI) about field researchers that will be in your
neighborhoods this summer.

Brett Walters
Old West Durham

In the summer of 2008, you may remember seeing a group of 6
people walking around your neighborhood in matching grey polo shirts and
carrying “yellow things.”  Well, this summer we’re out
there again, only this time in blue polos.

In 2008, the Children’s Environmental Health
Initiative (CEHI) undertook a massive project to collect data on the condition
and characteristics of Durham communities.  The project is one-of-a-kind,
and the data being collected is helping City and County officials, as well as
health leaders, understand the role of neighborhood conditions on human health
– particularly that of women and children.  Now, three years later,
we are interested in mapping how Durham has changed since 2008.

This year, our field team consists of John Post (Field Team
Leader), Joshua Worthy, Cassie Robertson, Andy Holland, Jessica Pack, and Ruth
Joo.  As part of this project, they will be walking through neighborhoods
as a team and using handheld GPS devices (the “yellow things”) to
collect information from the sidewalk on building use/type, building
conditions, sidewalks, litter, and other community elements.  The
neighborhoods included in our project this summer are shown in the map attached
to this email.  The information we collect will be used to generate maps
summarizing neighborhood characteristics.  The maps will also be shared
with residents, housing officials, or community organizations interested in
improving neighborhood quality.  Maps from the 2008 project were published
in a report that is available, along with an interactive mapping site, on our
website, http://cehi.env.duke.edu/cap/.
We are also happy to provide you with a copy of the report from 2008,
or with the
new report that will be generated this year.

CEHI is a research, education, and outreach organization
dedicated to fostering environments where all people can prosper.  We are
part of the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University.  We would
greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word about our presence in Durham
communities and encourage you to circulate this information among any email
lists and in any meetings.  If you have any questions or concerns,
don’t hesitate to contact us.  We can be reached by telephone at
668-4062, or toll-free at 1-866-264-7891. You can also email us at
cehi at env.duke.edu.  Thank you for your
interest in our work.

Sincerely,

Gretchen Kroeger, Field Team Manager
Marie Lynn Miranda, Director of CEHI
Project Coordinator
Children's Environmental Health Initiative
Nicholas School of the Environment | Duke University
(919) 668 - 4062
www.nicholas.duke.edu/cehi




-- 
Brett Walters, President
Old West Durham Neighborhood Association
Diversity, Harmony, Community
http://www.owdna.org/