Directed by Harry Wiland and Dale Bell
Hosted by author and national health expert Dr. Richard Jackson, MD, MPH
Many cities are struggling to resuscitate their dying downtowns and overcome a history of industrial pollution. Episode 2 looks at how families and young people seek to repair main street America by rebuilding places of the heart.
When U.S. industry and manufacturing collapsed or went elsewhere, cities like Elgin, IL, and Syracuse, NY, were left with the task of redefining themselves for a new paradigm. Leading the way to a greener, more sustainable Elgin is a group of high school students. Despite many innovative programs to get Syracuse back on its feet, the city struggles with the larger problem of Lake Onondaga, the most polluted lake in our nation. Local Native American Onondaga tribal leader Oren Lyons serves as conscience in the movement to cleanup the industrially polluted lake. And in Riverside, CA, 16-year old science prodigy Otana Jakpor has a personal reason for her war against air pollution and takes her battle all the way to the White House.
Reviews
~ "Highlights changes being made in forward-thinking communities ¨C changes that foster better physical and mental health by redesigning the built environment." - Jane Brody, New York Times
~ "A thoughtful series and book that illustrates how and why building healthy communities is the right prescription for America." - George C. Benjamin, MD, Executive Director, American Public Health Association
~ "Jackson inhabits the frontier between public health and urban planning, and offers us hopeful examples of innovative transformations." - Will Rogers, President/CEO, Trust for Public Land
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