City of Syracuse featured in new PBS special

Thursday, February 9, 2012, By News Staff

The city of Syracuse is featured prominently in a national PBS special “Designing Healthy Communities,” airing Sundays in February at 8 p.m. on WCNY. Host Richard Jackson looks at the impact our built environment has on key public health indices like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, cancer and depression. Jackson connects bad community design with burgeoning health costs, then analyzes and illustrates what citizens are doing about this urgent crisis by looking upstream for innovative solutions.

In the second episode, “Rebuilding Places of the Heart’’ airing Feb. 12, Jackson explores how cities like Syracuse were left with the task of redefining themselves after U.S. industry and manufacturing collapsed. Tune in to learn more about the innovative programs designed to get Syracuse back on track. Sunday’s episode features interviews with SU’s Marilyn Higgins, vice president of economic development and community engagement; local Native American Onondaga tribal leader Oren Lyons; Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner; Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney; and Health Commissioner Cynthia Morrow.