Current Research

Michelle Kondo, Ph.D., is a scientist with the USDA-Forest Service, Philadelphia Field Station. She completed doctoral training in Urban Design and Planning at the University of Washington, and postdoctoral training in environmental health and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Kondo’s general research interests include:

• Environmental strategies for violence, injury and disease prevention
• Environmental health and environmental justice
• Geospatial and community-based research methods

Her research addresses the following broad questions: What are the health consequences of environmental disparities? By which physiological and psychosocial mechanisms do environments affect health? And, what impact can place-based and nature-based initiatives have on preventing and reducing violence, injuries, and disease? She is also interested in evaluating the influence of community participation in place-based initiatives on health outcomes. Some of her major projects include:

Changes in public health and safety associated with greening of vacant land and other greening and blight-reduction initiatives

Post-industrial cities throughout the Eastern US are developing innovative programs to reuse vacant lots. Cities are increasingly combining goals of vacant land stabilization with sustainability and public health and safety initiatives; vacant lots present opportunities to promote economic development, improve health and safety, and provide ecosystem services such as stormwater management. Dr. Kondo’s research employs quasi-experimental and experimental methods in evaluating impacts of vacant lot reuse and other greening programs such as green stormwater infrastructure on health and safety.

Viability of Prescriptions for Nature Programs

Partnerships between doctors, hospitals, non-profit groups and land managers are developing across the US to initiate “Parks Rx” or “Nature Rx” programs which incorporate support for families in spending more time outdoors in to the medical system. This project evaluates effectiveness of Nature Rx programs in implementation and in increasing patient use of outdoor spaces.

Past Research

Dr. Kondo's past research has investigated patterns of air pollution in goods-movement communities; air pollution-related stress and risk perception; and methods of community engagement in research and planning.

Why This Research is Important

• Science Magazine (February 26, 2018) “This city fights crime with gardening”

  Philadelphia Inquirer (February 26, 2018). “Gun violence can be reduced by clearing vacant lots, study finds”

  Planet Philadelphia (September 15, 2017) “Interview with Michelle Kondo of the US Forest Service about NaturePHL”

  The Conversation (August 18, 2017). “Is it OK to drink cloudy tap water?”

  Alliance for Community Trees (August 18, 2017). “Can Trees Help Decrease Violence?”

  Philadelphia Inquirer (July 5, 2017). “Philly doctors are now prescribing park visits to city kids” 

  WCPN Ideastream (Cleveland; September 27, 2016) “Increasing Tree Equity -- One Cleveland Neighborhood at a Time”

  WCPN Ideastream (Cleveland; August 29, 2016) “Green vs. Grey: How Can Trees Help Outdated Sewer Systems?” 

  ABC Radio (Australia; July 23, 2016) “Planting trees for crime reduction”

  The Conversation (Australia; July 11, 2016) “Greening cities makes for safer neighbourhoods”

  The Atlantic / Citilab (April 13, 2016) “Another Reason to Love Urban Green Space: It Fights Crime. A new body of evidence suggests that adding greenery in vacant or gray settings reduces criminal activity nearby”

  AC Trees News (April 13, 2016). “Greening Up: Another Tool To Fight Crime?

• The Marshall Project (December 9, 2015) “Could Trees Help Stop Crime? Researchers think turning more vacant lots green might work”

• Water Environment Federation: Stormwater Report (March 24, 2015) “Reduced Narcotics Possession Found Near Philadelphia Green Infrastructure”
• Philadelphia Inquirer (March 1, 2015). “GreenSpace: Phila. storm-water plan seen to have wider positives”
• WHYY News: The Pulse (September 25, 2014). “Does urban greening boost public health?”

Education

• University of Washington, Ph.D. Urban Design and Planning 2008
• University of Washington, M.U.P. Urban Design and Planning 2001
• Carnegie Mellon University, B.S. Civil & Environmental Engineering 1999

Professional Experience

Publications

• Kondo, Michelle ; De Roos, Anneclaire ; White, Lauren ; Heilman, Warren ; Mockrin, Miranda ; Gross-Davis, Carol ; Burstyn, Igor . 2019. Meta-Analysis of Heterogeneity in the Effects of Wildfire Smoke Exposure on Respiratory Health in North America.
• Kondo, Michelle C.; Morrison, Christopher ; Jacoby, Sara F.; Elliott, Liana ; Poche, Albert ; Theall, Katherine P.; Branas, Charles C. 2018. Blight Abatement of Vacant Land and Crime in New Orleans.
• Heckert, Megan; Kondo, Michelle. 2018. Can Cleaned and Greened Lots Take on the Role of Public Greenspace.
• Branas, Charles C.; South, Eugenia; Kondo, Michelle C.; Hohl, Bernadette C.; Bourgois, Philippe; Wiebe, Douglas J.; MacDonald, John M. 2018. Citywide cluster randomized trial to restore blighted vacant land and its effects on violence, crime, and fear.
• Kondo, Michelle C.; Jacoby, Sara F.; South, Eugenia C. 2018. Does spending time outdoors reduce stress A review of real-time stress response to outdoor environments.
• South, Eugenia C.; Hohl, Bernadette C.; Kondo, Michelle C.; MacDonald, John M.; Branas, Charles C. 2018. Effect of Greening Vacant Land on Mental Health of Community-Dwelling Adults.
• Kondo, Michelle C.; Andreyeva, Elena; South, Eugenia C.; MacDonald, John M.; Branas, Charles C. 2018. Neighborhood Interventions to Reduce Violence.
• Kondo, Michelle; Fluehr, Jaime; McKeon, Thomas; Branas, Charles. 2018. Urban Green Space and Its Impact on Human Health.
• Kondo, Michelle C.; Morrison, Christopher; Guerra, Erick; Kaufman, Elinore J.; Wiebe, Douglas J. 2018. Where do bike lanes work best A Bayesian spatial model of bicycle lanes and bicycle crashes.
• Locke, Dexter H.; Han, SeungHoon; Kondo, Michelle C.; Murphy-Dunning, Colleen; Cox, Mary. 2017. Did community greening reduce crime Evidence from New Haven, CT, 1996-2007.
• De Roos, Anneclaire J.; Gurian, Patrick L.; Robinson, Lucy F.; Rai, Arjita; Zakeri, Issa; Kondo, Michelle C. 2017. Review of epidemiological studies of drinking-water turbidity in relation to acute gastrointestinal illness.
• Kondo, Michelle C.; South, Eugenia C.; Branas, Charles C.; Richmond, Therese S.; Wiebe, Douglas J. 2017. The association between urban tree cover and gun assault: A case-control and case-crossover study.
• Kondo, Michelle C.; Han, SeungHoon; Donovan, Geoffrey H.; MacDonald, John M. 2017. The association between urban trees and crime: Evidence from the spread of the emerald ash borer in Cincinnati.
• Kondo, M.; Hohl, B.; Han, S.; Branas, C. 2016. Effects of greening and community reuse of vacant lots on crime.
• Kondo, Michelle C.; Sharma, Raghav; Plante, Alain F.; Yang, Yunwen; Burstyn, Igor. 2016. Elemental Concentrations in Urban Green Stormwater Infrastructure Soils.
• Gernes, Rebecca; Hertzberg, Richard; MacDonell, Margaret; Rice, Glenn; Wright, J. Michael; Beresin, Glennon; Miller, Travis; Africa, Julia; Donovan, Geoffrey; Hipp, J. Aaron; Hystad, Perry; Jackson, Laura; Kondo, Michelle; Mitchell, Richard; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark; Ryan, Patrick; Sullivan, William; van den Bosch, Matilda Annerstedt. 2016. Estimating greenspace exposure and benefits for cumulative risk assessment applications.
• Kondo, Michelle C.; Keene, Danya; Hohl, Bernadette C.; MacDonald, John M.; Branas, Charles C. 2015. A Difference-In-Differences Study of the Effects of a New Abandoned Building Remediation Strategy on Safety.
• Kondo, Michelle C.; South, Eugenia C.; Branas, Charles C. 2015. Nature-based strategies for improving urban health and safety.
• South, Eugenia C.; Kondo, Michelle C.; Cheney, Rose A.; Branas, Charles C. 2015. Neighborhood blight, stress, and health: a walking trial of urban greening and ambulatory heart rate.
• Kondo, Michelle C.; Low, Sarah C.; Henning, Jason; Branas, Charles C. 2015. The impact of green stormwater infrastructure installation on surrounding health and safety.
• Kondo, Michelle C.; Bream, Kent D.W.; Barg, Frances K.; Branas, Charles C. 2014. A random spatial sampling method in a rural developing nation.
• Kondo, Michelle C.; Mizes, Chris; Lee, John; Burstyn, Igor. 2014. Black carbon concentrations in a goods-movement neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA.
• Kondo, Michelle C.; Gross-Davis, Carol Ann; May, Katlyn; Davis, Lauren O.; Johnson, Tyiesha; Mallard, Mable; Gabbadon, Alice; Sherrod, Claudia; Branas, Charles C. 2014. Place-based stressors associated with industry and air pollution.
• Kondo, Michelle C.; Mizes, Chris; Lee, John; McGady-Saier, Jacqueline; O'Malley, Lisa; Diliberto, Ariel; Burstyn, Igor. 2014. Towards participatory air pollution exposure assessment in a goods movement community.

Research Highlights

Highlight	Title	Year
NRS-2014-020	Air Pollution as a Psychosocial Stressor A Forest Service scientist and her research partners found that air pollution contributes to physical and psychosocial conditions that act as co ...	2014
NRS-2017-24	Can “cleaned and greened” lots take on the role of public greenspace? Vacant lots are a problem that cities are increasingly addressing through greening efforts. Questions remain about if and how these green space ...	2017
NRS-2016-82	Community Greening Can Reduce Crime In Youngstown, Ohio, vacant lots greened by community members experienced reductions in violent assaults, while vacant lots greened by contracto ...	2016
NRS-2017-22	Does urban tree cover play a role in reducing violence in cities? Green space and vegetation may play a protective role for urban violence.	2017
NRS-2017-25	Economic benefits from violence reduction associated with remediation of abandoned buildings and vacant lot greening Abandoned buildings and vacant lots are blighted spaces seen daily by many urban residents and may create physical opportunities for violence by ...	2017
NRS-2016-81	Elemental Concentrations in Urban Green Stormwater Infrastructure Soils A study by a Forest Service scientist and her partners found that in an urban area, soils in green stormwater infrastructure facilities appear t ...	2016
NRS-2015-133	Green Stormwater Infrastructure Reduces Crime Forest Service scientists tested the effects of green stormwater infrastructure installation on health and safety outcomes across Philadelphia ...	2015
NRS-2015-134	Low-cost Urban Building Improvement Can Reduce Crime In a study by a Forest Service scientist and her partners, Philadelphia’s “Doors-and-Windows Ordinance,” which requires repairs to abandon ...	2015
NRS-2015-135	Seeing a Greened Vacant Lot May Lower Stress Studies by Forest Service scientists showed that walking adjacent to greened vacant lots decreased participants' heart rate significantly more t ...	2015
NRS-2017-23	Turbidity of drinking water supplies in relation to incidence of gastrointestinal illness From examination of empirical studies of the relationship between drinking water turbidity and the number of acute gastrointestinal illness case ...	2017