Healthy Infrastructure
Learning Lab
Welcome to the Healthy Infrastructure Learning Lab (HILL), a research collaboration aimed at understanding policy and infrastructure implementation challenges of the 21st century.
in·fra·struc·ture
the basic equipment and structures needed for a region or organization to function properly
the system of public works of a country, state or region and the resources required for specific activities
Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2021
is both relational and ecological; is part of the balance of action, tools, and the built environment, inseparable from them.
Susan Leigh Star, 1999
im·ple·men·ta·tion
the process of making something active or effective
Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2021
a struggle over the realization of ideas
Pressman and Wildavsky, 1973
The lab work approaches projects in the areas of Mobility, Land, Air + Water, from an integrated and interdisciplinary perspective. We work on mobility research focused on air quality and pollution mitigation, analyze land use policy in relation to tree canopies and have a deep engagement with the integration of land use and transport. We seek to learn from existing practices in order to identify barriers and nurture opportunities to build sustainable and equitable communities for the 21st century and beyond.
Mobility
The lab works on projects related to new urban mobility, transport governance and infrastructure financing. Current projects are guided by several questions: How do local (sub-state) government and community actors respond to new responsibilities and burdens of 21st century transportation? How do they finance and govern new technologies and adopt emerging solutions to enhance the movement of people? How does the implementation of transport infrastructure and policies interact with existing patterns of segregation and marginalization?
You can find recent articles based on this research in the Journal of Transport Geography, Journal of Planning Education and Research, and Journal of the American Planning Association.
Land
HILL’s second major area of focus is land regulation and management, with an emphasis on its integration with sustainability and resiliency planning. In past projects – on redlining and buy-out programs, zoning relief, and a textbook on zoning practice – HIIL researchers have examined how historical and institutional factors influence the contemporary management of land and it’s social and economic outcomes.
Air + Water
Across Mobility and Land, we pursue projects that examine and evaluate Environmental Sustainability using interdisciplinary research. Current projects include a collaboration with local governments engaged in healthy infrastructure planning and an analysis of landscaping and water conservation policies.
H.I.L.L.
University of North Texas
Questions about our work?
lauren.fischer@unt.edu
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Lauren Ames Fischer, Ph.D. 