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The
Social and Health Landscape of Urban and Suburban America By
Dennis Andrulis and Nanette Goodman While most cities still
struggle with issues of poverty, disease, and crime, the first compendium of
data of its kind from the nation's 100 largest cities and their suburbs
concludes that many of the social population patterns and health conditions
once unique to urban areas are increasingly becoming regionalized with
metropolitan growth. The new book, "The
Social and Health Landscape of Urban and Suburban America," brings together
for the first time information on the nation's 100 largest cities, their
counties and their greater metropolitan areas using national data sources,
these include Census, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, the American Health Association and others
which reveal dramatic changes occurring in urban populations, crime, teen
births, health care, diseases and many other high priority concerns. The
book also documents the significant progress made by many areas in combating
longstanding conditions in the cities, and helps inform leaders in targeting
assistance to improve the lives of residents. It also presents the
effects of urban spread: growing common ground in the social and health
changes and challenges facing cities and suburbs. "The findings raise
questions about the wisdom of policy initiatives that are based on outdated
assumptions - that cities are dangerous enclaves with intractable social
problems while suburbs and exurbs are America's Pleasantvilles," according
to the author, Dennis Andrulis, former President of the National Public
Health and Hospital Institute. " This report may offer a foundation for
collaboration between city and county agencies, and in some cases, suggests
the reconsideration of categorical funding policies that do not recognize
the critical link between social and health concerns in the cities and their
suburbs." The book offers
individual profiles of the 100 largest cities and their suburbs as well as
regional and city size comparisons, and seven narrative urban stories on the
welfare of children, population growth and disease, crime, health care, rich
and poor, age, and race/ethnicity. Its many conclusions suggest new and
expanded perspectives on the situation of America's urban areas including: The value of greater
city-suburban service coordination. Rates of violent crime and low birth
weight infants in the suburbs are directly associated with city crime,
suggestion that these and other health, safety, an social priorities have
become regional issues; Documenting progress in
public health. Many cities have seen dramatic downturns in rates of
tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases that may represent important
lessons for those areas struggling to address there conditions; The need for urban areas
to reassess how essential health care services will be available for rich
and poor alike. Over a sixteen year period starting in the early 1980s
there has been a 43% decline in the number of suburban public hospitals
placing a greater demand on urban health centers and university hospitals; Differing patterns of
poverty in cities and suburbs that require tailored initiatives. The intense
concentration of poverty in cities and the diffusion of poverty in the
suburbs will continue to place demands on agencies to adapt different
approaches to reach the poor. Copies of the book may
be purchased through amazon.com or AHA press: 1-800-242-2626. For further
information about the report, please contact Dennis P. Andrulis at or by
phone at 718-270-7726. 
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