The Penn Urban Health Lab and 13 community and faith-based organizations are launching Deeply Rooted, a community-driven program to promote health equity and environmental justice in Black and brown neighborhoods in West and Southwest Philadelphia.
Named Deeply Rooted to convey the depth, strength, and scope of the work, the initiative will increase greenspace through greening of over 1,000 vacant lots, planting more than 1,000 trees and building miniparks designed by the community.
In addition, it will provide community residents and organizations with mini-grants to promote environmental justice initiatives and support nature-based career development. Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP) Healthier Together Initiative are the initial funders for Deeply Rooted, while the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society serves as the lead strategic greenspace implementation partner.
The collaborative aims to reverse the effects of structural racism on neighborhood environments, which have led to increased violent crime, worsened public health, and deepened health inequities in Black and brown Philadelphia neighborhoods. The first year of the program will focus on four local communities – Cobbs Creek, Haddington, Kingsessing, and Mill Creek – which were selected based on data related to the rates of gun violence, health outcomes, the opportunity to increase tree canopy, and the prevalence of vacant land.
“Every time we step out of our homes to go to work or school, the environment around us is having an impact on our health,” said Eugenia South, M.D., M.S.H.P., an assistant professor of emergency medicine and faculty director of the Urban Health Lab, in a statement. “Investment in Black communities that is directed by community leaders to create healthy and safe neighborhoods environments is essential to reversing longstanding health inequities.”
The collaborative draws upon South’s research on the impact of vacant lots, blighted houses, and lack of trees and other greenspaces on rates of violence and poor health outcomes in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods. Her work illustrates the profound toll of violence on communities, where residents experience increased rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and heart disease compared to their White counterparts. Recently, South and Penn colleagues embarked on a research effort, spanning 60 predominantly Black neighborhoods in Philadelphia, to measure interventions addressing both environmental and economic injustices on health and well-being. That project is supported by a nearly $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Deeply Rooted centers on community partnership and empowerment. Community partners are recognized as the experts on the needs of their communities, and they will shape overall strategic direction, drive outreach and make decisions about which interventions are applied within their unique neighborhoods.
“Building authentic community partnerships, exchanging knowledge, and enhancing the capacity and resources of community members are essential for Deeply Rooted’s success and sustainability,” said Nicole Thomas, M.B.A., director of the Urban Health Lab and lifelong West and Southwest Philadelphia resident, in a statement. “‘Deeply Rooted’ not only refers to how entrenched systemic racism is in these communities and the literal healing power of nature, but it also highlights how intimately the collaborative will operate within these communities. We will literally be deeply rooted within Philadelphia neighborhoods.”
The collaborative celebrated its launch in the four neighborhoods on Saturday, May 14th, with nature-based activities for youth and adults, featuring both community and academic partners, as well as local elected officials. This spring, Deeply Rooted will be planting up to 60 trees and greening over 206,000 square feet of vacant and blighted space.
“Penn Medicine is dedicated to supporting healthier communities – that means not only caring for patients once they come through our doors but also nurturing neighborhoods that keep them safe and help them thrive in all aspects of their lives,” said Kevin B. Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, in a statement. “Embracing bold investments and innovative strategies is essential to healing the local community and safeguarding our city’s future.”
