Place is an important element in understanding health and health care disparities. More that merely a geographic location, place is a socio-ecological force with detectable effects on social life, independent well-being, and health. Despite the general enthusiasm for the study of place and the potential it could have for a better understanding of the distribution of health in different communities, research is at a difficult crossroads because of disagreements in how the construct should be conceptualized and measured. This edited volume incorporates an cross-disciplinary approach to the study of place, in order to come up with a comprehensive and useful definition of place. Topics covered include: Social Inequalities, Historical Definitions of Place, Biology and Place, Rural vs. Urban Places, Racialization of a Place, Migration, Sacred Places, Technological Innovations An understanding of place is essential for health care professionals, as interventions often do not have the same effects in the clinic as they do in varied, naturalistic social settings.

The leading text in the field, this comprehensive book reviews geographic approaches to studying disease and public health issues across the globe. It presents cutting-edge techniques of spatial and social analysis and explores their relevance for understanding cultural and political ecology, disease systems, and health promotion. Essential topics include how new diseases emerge and epidemics develop in particular places; the intersecting influences on health of biological processes, culture, environment, and behavior; and the changing landscape of health care planning and service delivery. The text is richly illustrated with tables, figures, and maps, including 16 color plates.

Print+CourseSmart

This open access book is a thorough update and expansion of the 2017 edition of The Handbook of Salutogenesis, responding to the rapidly growing salutogenesis research and application arena. Revised and updated from the first edition are background and historical chapters that trace the development of the salutogenic model of health and flesh out the central concepts, most notably generalized resistance resources and the sense of coherence that differentiate salutogenesis from pathogenesis. From there, experts describe a range of real-world applications within and outside health contexts. Many new chapters emphasize intervention research findings. Readers will find numerous practical examples of how to implement salutogenesis to enhance the health and well-being of families, infants and young children, adolescents, unemployed young people, pre-retirement adults, and older people. A dedicated section addresses how salutogenesis helps tackle vulnerability, with chapters on at-risk children, migrants, prisoners, emergency workers, and disaster-stricken communities. Wide-ranging coverage includes new topics beyond health, like intergroup conflict, politics and policy-making, and architecture. The book also focuses on applying salutogenesis in birth and neonatal care clinics, hospitals and primary care, schools and universities, workplaces, and towns and cities. A special section focuses on developments in salutogenesis methods and theory. With its comprehensive coverage, The Handbook of Salutogenesis, 2nd Edition, is the standard reference for researchers, practitioners, and health policy-makers who wish to have a thorough grounding in the topic. It is also written to support post-graduate education courses and self-study in public health, nursing, psychology, medicine, and social sciences.

The only book of its kind to provide an overview of sustainable street design Today, society is moving toward a more sustainable way of life, with cities everywhere aspiring to become high-quality places to live, work, and play. Streets are fundamental to this shift. They define our system of movement, create connections between places, and offer opportunities to reconnect to natural systems. There is an increasing realization that the right-of-way is a critical and under-recognized resource for transformation, with new models being tested to create a better public realm, support balanced transportation options, and provide sustainable solutions for stormwater and landscaping. Living Streets provides practical guidance on the complete street approach to sustainable and community-minded street use and design. Written by an interdisciplinary team of authors, the book brings insights and experience from urban planning, transportation planning, and civil engineering perspectives. It includes examples from many completed street design projects from around the world, an overview of the design and policy tools that have been successful, and guidance to help get past the predictable obstacles to implementation: Who makes decisions in the right-of-way? Who takes responsibility? How can regulations be changed to allow better use of the right-of-way? Living Streets informs you of the benefits of creating streets that are healthier, more pleasant parts of life: Thoughtful planning of the location, uses, and textures of the spaces in which we live encourages people to use public space more often, be more active, and possibly live healthier lives. A walkable community makes life easier and more pleasant for everyone, especially for vulnerable populations within the larger community whose transportation limitations reduce access to jobs, healthy food, health care, recreation, and social interaction. Streets present opportunities to improve the natural environment while adding to neighborhood character, offering beauty, providing shade, and improving air quality. If you're an urban planner, designer, transportation engineer, or civil engineer, Living Streets is the ultimate guide for the creation of more humane streetscapes that connect neighborhoods and inspire people.