MIT Department: Urban Studies & Planning
Undergraduate Institution: Barnard College
Faculty Mentor: Mariana Arcaya
Research Supervisor: Leigh Carroll
Website: LinkedIn
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Biography
I am an undergraduate student from the Boston area, majoring in urban studies at Barnard College. My research interests lie in urban public health- in particular, the creation and accessibility of food systems in cities. I hope to pursue a career that aids in the creation of just, livable, and sustainable communities. In my free time, I enjoy living in and exploring the complexities of Manhattan, as well as yoga and eating.
2017 Poster Presentation
2017 Research Abstract
Displacement as a threat to good health: How self-reported experiences of built, social, natural, and economic environments relate to wellbeing
Thandi Nyambose, Urban Studies Program, Barnard College
Leigh Carroll, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mariana Arcaya, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
In epidemiology, there is a belief that one’s ZIP code may be may be a better predictor of
health than one’s genetic code. The Healthy Neighborhoods Study, which began in 2015, aims to prove just that. The study will track changes in four key domains – resident experiences, neighborhood conditions, development, and health – across a cohort of nine Massachusetts neighborhoods that are likely to receive Transit Oriented Development (TOD) investments. Data is collected in each neighborhood through Participatory Action Research. Any data that links residents’ self-reported wellbeing with their interactions with the built, social, natural, and economic environments would support the hypothesis. So far, resident researchers have collected nearly 400 responses during the baseline data, which shows strong predictive relationships between wellbeing and neighborhood conditions. Specifically, constructs around self-determination (defined as people’s ability to meet personal priorities in the place where they live), social support (defined as relationships with other people in in their communities that are supportive, affirming, inclusive, provide care and create leverage), and housing stability (defined as the belief that they will not have to relocate in the next five years), have emerged as predictors of respondents reporting good health. These results build community capacity to create neighborhood conditions that foster wellbeing, and inform future plans for inclusive urban development.