As urban populations grow, new health problems evolve in tandem with longstanding issues. And as a welter of social, environmental, and access factors further complicate the picture, workable solutions require increasingly sophisticated understanding and innovative methods-generally beyond the scope of one professional field. Converging Disciplines introduces the concept of transdisciplinary research as a multidimensional, research-to-practice approach to urban health issues, not only bringing researchers together but also linking stakeholders, from practitioners to policymakers to community members. This immediately accessible volume differentiates transdisciplinary research from multi- and interdisciplinary strategies, as well as from popular community-based models, and brings a uniquely North American set of perspectives to the concept. Chapter authors explore the theory behind the methods as well as their application in meeting chronic problems (e.g., domestic violence, substance abuse) and working with vulnerable populations (e.g., homeless individuals, refugees) in ways that are ecologically based, ethically sound, and eminently practical. Key areas of coverage: Benefits and challenges of transdisciplinary research in the urban health setting. Transdisciplinary research process, including methodologies, collaboration, and information sharing. Detailed case examples of transdisciplinary research used in addressing health issues among marginalized urban populations. An overview of training programs in the U.S. and Canada. The view from funding agencies. Preparing the university, researchers, and the job market for a transdisciplinary future researchers and graduate students in urban and public health will find inspiring reading in Converging Disciplines: a bold framework for transforming their fields, and the tools for meeting the new generation of urban health challenges.

What do New York City children have to say about their neighborhoods? Neighborhood research, the body of work exploring the link between the neighborhood context and residents' health, has received increasing attention in recent years. Despite the recent growth of neighborhood research, there has been surprisingly little attention to what children themselves say about the neighborhoods they live in. This study moves beyond traditional research by examining children's views of their inner-city New York City neighborhoods to inform on the neighborhood attributes most important to them. The research then explores the relationship between different neighborhood measurements (children's and parents' evaluations of neighborhood conditions, census data, and neighborhood observations by outside raters) and their association with children's health. The study answers questions such as "what is the relationship between subjective and objective neighborhood measures" and "whose ratings of neighborhood characteristics matter most to children's health." The book is directed towards scholars and researchers in urban health, urban planning, child development, and interdisciplinary studies.