Moving the Hollygrove Best Babies Zone community forward though Environmental Health Initiatives

In the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans, babies are three times more likely to be born with low birthweight than babies born in the average American neighborhood. Research demonstrates that complex social and environmental issues contribute to this disparity.

Hollygrove is bound by four major roadways, and has large areas of blighted housing, vacant lots strewn with trash and housing debris, and poor lighting. Additionally, a potential plan to relocate a train to the neighborhood would increase railway traffic and subsequent air pollution.

When the Hollygrove BBZ was initiated, the community identified through its Health Impact Assessment (HIA) environmental issues as one of its priorities.  Residents indicated that these environmental issues caused them to feel unsafe and that their health was being affected.

As a result of the HIA, BBZ Hollygrove worked with the community to cultivate and build local leadership and social cohesion to improve environmental conditions in the neighborhood. These efforts included supporting advocacy efforts surrounding blight, streetlight repair, and train relocation to Hollygrove. BBZ Hollygrove also initiated air and soil testing to determine their impact on environment and health.

The presentation will outline the HIA process, successes and challenges that have occurred, and the current progress of the projects.  We will share plans for the future focus of the Hollygrove BBZ as well as how the zonal work is being utilized in other city zonal projects.