In this special issue of Conservation Matters, we want to take you behind the scenes of our work, to give you a glimpse into how we break down challenges and take advantage of opportunities to create a healthy, thriving New England – not just for today, but for generations to come.
“From addressing air pollution, to improving public transit, to building sustainable food systems and more, community health is the cornerstone of everything CLF does,” said CLF president Bradley Campbell. “New research collected on-the-ground has enabled us to chart a course for transformational change in Boston and other urban centers across Massachusetts tailored to the unique needs of each community. Thanks to this generous grant from RWJF, this proven model will be expanded and replicated nationally.”
The neighborhood improved, but was still rough around the edges, said Maggie Church, senior adviser at Conservation Law Foundation, a New England community group.
The Healthy Neighborhoods Equity Fund is a groundbreaking example of impact investing that marries margin and mission in a marketable fund focused on social determinants of health in the built environment.
Completing a new neighborhood development is just the beginning of the story. The true success of such targeted investment will come with the changes it brings to a community over time. That’s where Vedette Gavin, CLF’s Director of Research, comes in. “The reality is that the relationship between development and health is extremely complex,” she says.
CLF President Bradley Campbell said, “Community health is vitally dependent on neighborhood design and smart investment, which is why CLF is proud to partner with MHIC on projects researched and designed to promote affordability, mobility, and better health outcomes.”
Fighting Big Gas How One Community’s Fight Could Shape the Future of New England Restoring Lake Champlain Reasons for Hope after Decades of Degradation Local Food 2.0 Training a New Generation of Farmers in Western Massachusetts Whale Watch Saving North Atlantic Right Whales from Extinction Measuring Community Health A New Research Model Puts the Community… Continue reading Conservation Matters Summer 2017: Year in Review
Why is it so difficult to finance the development of healthy neighborhoods when the benefits to people, communities, and the economy are so profound? The answer, at least in part, lies in the fact that these benefits are not generally measured or accounted for in any systematic way.
For a neighborhood to truly thrive, it needs healthy people, a healthy environment, and a healthy economy with opportunities for all. Improving neighborhood environments can boost health, but traditional financing sources simply aren’t capable of addressing those needs at a project level. Recognizing the complex challenges of building healthy and sustainable communities, three years ago,… Continue reading Building Healthy Communities One Neighborhood at a Time
Celebrating 50 Years of CLF Going Low-Carb Transforming New England’s Energy System Coal-Free New England Community Voices: The Clean Energy Landscape Web of Deceit Holding ExxonMobil Accountable for Its Decades of Climate Denial Community Voices: A Message to ExxonMobil A Tale of Two Rivers Boston Harbor 2.0 The New Frontier in the Fight to Save… Continue reading Conservation Matters Fall 2016
