Research & Publications

USF Community Cries for Rapid Employment Due to COVID-19 Devastating Job Loss

Josie Rocco hung up the phone and wiped away the tears streaming down her face as she contemplated what her next move would be. This was the third call she'd received that day where all she could say was, “I am so sorry to hear that.” Words that felt empty with no real solutions or answers attached to them. 

Resident Engagement in the Urban Core: Motivations, Models, and Methodologies

Resident engagement and empowerment in the urban core are crucially important to creating purpose- built communities that are opposed to plans of gentrification. Organizations seek the most effective strategies to engage citizens in urban communities in order to solicit valuable input and involvement in community planning with the intent of stabilizing neighborhoods.

That's What We Call 'Aesthetics,' Not a Public Health Issue": The Social Construction of Tap Water Mistrust in an Underbounded Community

In the United States, underbounded communities—urban disadvantaged unincorporated neighborhoods characterized by high-poverty and high residential density lying just outside the border of an incorporated municipality—often lack consistent access to clean and safe water.

Building of the Man Behind the Thought Leader - An Inquiry into the Life of John Couris

John Couris, Tampa General Hospital’s president and Chief Executive Officer, shared segments of his upbringing and early life experiences. These reflections give us a glimpse into the making of a authentic, transformative and principle-centered leader.

Diversity Improves Design: Sustainable Place-Making in a Suburban Tampa Bay Brownfield Neighborhood

One Sunday afternoon in June 2017, members of our team met with a small group of residents from the University Area Community, a blighted neighborhood in suburban Tampa where human and environmental health are among the poorest in the state of Florida. We were talking with families about plans to redevelop a seven-acre plot of land in the heart of the neighborhood, with the goal of turning it into a recreational park and community garden.

Harvesting Hope in the University Area Community: From Brownfields to Healthfields

Community concerns about soil contamination and other environmental challenges, including housing issues, initially brought our team together. The mixed-use (residential/commercial/industrial) neighborhood is blighted by vacant and abandoned lots polluted with solid waste and is surrounded by businesses that produce hazardous wastes.