Table 3.
Descriptions of SALURBAL’s policy evaluation projects, including details of the policies evaluated, outcomes measured, and engagement with local partners
| Description of policy or intervention evaluated | Health and environmental outcomes measured | Community and policy engagement |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Regeneration, Quality of Life, and Health (RUCAS) | Viña del Mar and Santiago, Chile [31] | ||
| Participatory intervention upgrading existing social housing units and constructing new units, installing community green spaces and recreation facilities, repaving streets and sidewalks, and improving lighting of streets and parks, among others | Self-rated health, respiratory conditions, mental health, and housing satisfaction |
Chilean Ministry of Housing and Urbanism (MINVU), researchers from the Center for Sustainable Development (CEDEUS), and community leaders from the two communities participating in the study. More than 20 dissemination and dialogue events with community leaders, MINVU representatives and other researchers. Public-facing website: |
| Belo Horizonte Vila Viva Project (BH-Vila Viva) | Belo Horizonte, Brazil [32] | ||
| Improvements in sanitation, housing conditions, neighborhood streets, and the provision of leisure and recreational spaces and resources in informal settlements; initiatives to enhance the quality of life including economic empowerment through microfinance, and establishment of legal ownership over property by providing land titles | Deaths, asthma rates, mosquito-borne disease, and risk factors related to non-communicable diseases | Urbanization and Housing Company of Belo Horizonte (URBEL), the organization implementing the Vila Viva program. Data collection was made possible through the generous cooperation and participation of residents of the Serra slum and Cabana slum of Belo Horizonte |
| Urban transformations and health: The case of TransMiCable in Bogotá (TrUST) | Ciudad Bolívar, Bogotá, Colombia [33] | ||
| Installation of a new cable car transit system (TransMiCable), physical improvements to homes, geomorphological hazard reduction, addition of tourist office, local markets, community centers, citizen services office, and recreational and cultural infrastructure | Inhaled air pollution, physical environment perceptions; access to recreational and cultural facilities; transport accessibility; employment; social capital; leisure time; leisure and transport-related physical activity; health-related quality of life; respiratory diseases; homicides |
The conceptual framework and research plans for this study were designed and validated through numerous consultations with diverse actors throughout the study, including representatives from academia; public sector representatives including officials from government institutions and the managing and coordinating entity of the public transportation system of Bogotá; and civil society, including two community leaders from Ciudad Bolívar and community members. Public-facing website: |
| Evaluation of new road traffic regulations, specifically speed limits, on crashes, fatalities, and air pollution in Mexico City | Mexico City, Mexico [34] | ||
| Implementation of new traffic regulations in 2015 (including stricter speed limits, monitoring, and enforcement including speed cameras and monetary fines) and subsequent changes to these regulations, notably removal of monetary fines for speeding, in 2019 | Collision rates, rates of collisions with injuries, mortality trends, and air pollution (NO2 and PM2.5) | Collaboration and engagement with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), AXA insurance, the former head of traffic engineering for Mexico City, representatives of government institutions including the National Commission for Accident Prevention (CONAPRA), and non-governmental organizations involved in road safety including Céntrico, the Mexican Association of Insurance Institutions (AMIS), the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), and public servants at the city’s mobility department |
| Effect of new bicycling infrastructure on urban health: A natural experiment in Mexico City | Mexico City, Mexico | ||
| EcoBici bike share system and expansion of cycling infrastructure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic | Changes in bicycle ridership and transit mode usage; transport-related physical activity; variations in EcoBici user demographics; contribution of EcoBici in meeting physical activity recommendations; neighborhood characteristics associated with EcoBici use | Engagement and collaboration with the Mexico City Secretariat of Mobility (SEMOVI). Data from the city-run EcoBici program received directly from SEMOVI |
| Evaluating the implementation and effects of warning advertising on food labels in Peru: A mixed-methods study | Lima, Peru [35–37] | ||
| Law for the Promotion of Healthy Eating for Children and Adolescents: Octagon-shaped nutrition warnings required to be placed on the packaging of processed foods and beverages containing trans-fat or classified as “high” in sodium, sugar, or saturated fats | Adolescents’ food choices; implementation of food labeling changes by industry; and changes to ingredients (reformulation) or marketing by industry in response to the law’s implementation | Close collaboration with local administrators from Schools Fe y Alegría N° 3 and N° 37 |