Richard Sadler Email and Phone Number

I am an urban geographer with a background in environmental science, GIS, food systems planning, and land use policy in shrinking/legacy cities. I earned my PhD in Geography from the University of Western Ontario in 2013, and have been with the Division of Public Health at MSU in Flint since March 2015. Because of my experiences growing up in the Flint region—where industrial growth and subsequent deindustrialization have had a profound influence on the built form—I have long been concerned with the salutogenic and pathogenic properties of urban areas.My research interests arose out of this concern, and include an integration of urban planning/public health topics related to neighborhood/built environmental effects on health. Some such topics include local food systems, urban agriculture, access to healthy food, urban disorder, blight elimination, drug abuse, residential segregation, and active travel. Methodologically, I utilize a combination of spatial analysis and community-based participatory research approaches to address challenges in the urban environment.Underpinning my work is a recognition of historical processes of discrimination which have exacerbated spatial and health inequalities. To round out my academic training and become a better collaborator in the public health world, I completed my MPH at Johns Hopkins in 2020. My long-term plan remains the same as ever: to strengthen the understanding between the built environment and health behaviors/outcomes with the goal of shaping land use policy to build healthier cities.