Arshia Faghri
KENNETT SQUARE – Arshia Faghri, a senior at Kennett High School, presented findings from his own research on building environments and health as a featured speaker at the American Planning Association (APA) Maryland/Delaware Conference on October 29.
The session entitled “Planning Healthy, Multigenerational Complete Communities (Perspectives from Delaware)” was offered for certification maintenance by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). The focus was on “healthy, livable communities that meet the needs of all residents regardless of age or ability level.” Along with Faghri the speakers at the session included David Edgell, AICP (Principal Planner, Delaware Office of State Planning Coordination), Marcia Scott (Policy Scientist, Institute for Public Administration, University of Delaware), Andrea Trabelsi, AICP (Transportation Planner, Whitman, Requardt & Associates, LLP), and Debra Young, M.Ed., OTR/L, SCEM, ATP, CAPS (Owner, EmpowerAbility, LLC).
Arshia Faghri was invited to participate as a result of his research paper submission, “The Built Environment and Our Health,” which examined the correlation between “our health and the built environment in which we live” and which was based on results of a questionnaire distributed to faculty, staff, and graduate students who live in the area around the University of Delaware. (Faghri’s father, Ardeshir Faghri, is a professor of civil and environment engineering at the University of Delaware. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has named Professor Faghri to its 2014 Class of Fellows.)
In his paper Kennett High School student Arshia Faghri attempted to answer several questions: “Is our built environment more conducive to physical activity or is it more auto-centered?” and “If we have a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly environment would we be healthier?” His inspiration for this research came from his desire to ride his bicycle to Kennett High School, a desire thwarted by the lack of pathways to make it an efficient and safe alternative to car or bus transportation. In his paper’s introduction Arshia notes, “Personally, I have always had a profound fascination with learning about human health and its epidemiological aspects. Salient diseases that have had a momentous effect on human development throughout history include but are not limited to: heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, lung disease, hypertension, and obesity. Although there are several factors that instigate the onset of a malady, clinical research has frequently shown that proper health maintenance and engagement in efficacious physical activities like walking and bicycling can counteract the pernicious consequences of these ailments. Historically, pre-industrial society and its laborious tasks demanded the continual use of the legs, hands, and muscles of the human body. It has been only within the past century that we humans have developed a wholly mechanized society and have developed a propensity for the use of cars and machines, as opposed to our own physical capabilities. One possible epidemiological factor that I have always been fascinated with is the question, “Why isn’t our built environment more conducive to physical activities?” For instance, I live and attend school in the small suburban town of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Pedestrian walkways and bicycle facilities for the purposes of recreational use, school attendance, and miscellaneous activities are either non-existent or are exceedingly dangerous to use. It seems to me that our entire built environment has been planned, designed, and constructed exclusively for auto use. For instance, if I could safely walk or bike to my high school from my house, it would take approximately twenty-five minutes and seven minutes, respectively. Interestingly, if I were to take the school bus to school, it would take me approximately thirty-five minutes. But unfortunately there are no adequate pedestrian walkways and bicycling facilities present and the existing roadway infrastructure has only been designed to cater to the needs of motor vehicles. Also, I don’t believe that my community and I are alone in this respect! And there are countless other neighborhoods suffering from similar difficulties. Thus, modern transportation facilities do not render themselves practical for multi-modal use, such as walking and bicycling.”
The conclusions and recommendations offered by this high school senior were: “Research and the results from this project show that there is a direct link between our built environment and human health. Readers should actively participate in mild to intense physical exercise each week, as the level of one’s physical activity is a major contributor to overall health. Depriving society of the very necessary facilities required to nurture its overall health and well-being does not bode well. Drastic changes must be implemented, for a rising pandemic of disease will have dire implications. Society should seek other forms of urban design and community development to counteract the effects of the built environment. Alternatives include the ‘new urbanism’ movement and the clean streets movement, both of which de-emphasize auto dependency and promote walkability of pedestrian friendly streets.”
Arshia Faghri is the secretary for the KHS Blue and White Chapter of the National Honor Society. He is a member of the Kennett High School Academic Competition Team, the Future Business Leaders of America, Model United Nations, and the staff of the Demon Press. Arshia intends to pursue a career in medicine. For his success in the research and presentation, Ashia credits his father for his guidance in the design of his research process, his teachers at Kennett High School for development of the necessary skills in statistics and technical writing, and his guidance counselor for tips on the design of the project.
