Kevin Lanza, PhD, MCRP
Assistant Professor, Epidemiology, Human Genetics, & Environmental Sciences
[email protected]
Kevin Lanza received his PhD in City & Regional Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology and completed his postdoctoral training at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin.
In his research, Dr. Lanza explores the relations between the environment, health behaviors, and health through the lens of climate equity. His primary aims are to determine the impact of extreme heat on physical activity, exertional heat illness, and chronic diseases of individuals living in low-income communities and communities of color, and to develop interventions (behavioral, programmatic, and environmental) to improve community resilience. Ultimately, his research goal is to inform policies that eliminate race-, ethnicity-, and class-based health inequities in the face of warming from urbanization and climate change. Dr. Lanza acknowledges that authentic partnership with community members is essential for health and climate solutions to be truly effective.
Current Projects
Green Schoolyards Project
The Green Schoolyards Project determines how trees, gardens, and nature trails at elementary school parks in Austin, Texas, affect surrounding temperatures and child health.
Recent Publications
Who travels where: Behavior of pedestrians and micromobility users on transportation infrastructure
Lanza, K., Burford, K., Ganzar, L.A. (2022). Journal of Transport Geography, Volume 98, 2022, ISSN 0966-6923
School-Level Economic Disparities in Police-Reported Crimes and Active Commuting to School.
Burford, K.; Ganzar, L.A.; Lanza, K.; Kohl, H.W., III; Hoelscher, D.M. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 10885. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010885) PMCID: PMC8535774
School parks as a community health resource: Use of joint-use parks by children before and during COVID-19 pandemic
(Lanza, K., Durand, C. P., Alcazar, M., Ehlers, S., Zhang, K., & Kohl III, H. W. (2021). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.)
Y-PATHS: A conceptual framework for classifying the timing, how, and setting of youth physical activity.
(Szeszulski, J., Lanza, K., Dooley, E., Johnson, A. M., Knell, G., Walker, T. J., Craig, D. W., Robertson, M. C., Salvo, D., & Kohl III, H. W. (2021). Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 18(3), 310-317)
Heat-moderating effects of bus stop shelters and tree shade on public transport ridership.
(Lanza, K., & Durand, C. P. (2021). Heat-moderating effects of bus stop shelters and tree shade on public transport ridership. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 463.)
Effects of trees, gardens, and nature trails on heat index and child health: design and methods of the Green Schoolyards Project
(Lanza, K., Alcazar, M., Hoelscher, D.M. et al. BMC Public Health 21, 98 (2021).)
Urban heat management in Louisville, Kentucky: A framework for climate adaptation planning.
Stone, B, Lanza, K, Mallen, E, Vargo, J, & Russel, AT. Journal of Planning Education and Research. 2019; 1-13
A methodological assessment of extreme heat mortality modeling and heat vulnerability mapping in Dallas, Texas.
Mallen, E, Stone, B, & Lanza, K. Urban Climate.Urban Climate 30 (December 2019): 100528–.
Thermal impacts of built and vegetated environments on local microclimates in an Urban University campus.
Mallen, E, Stone, B, Bakin, J, Sivakumar, R, & Lanza, K. Urban Climate. 2020; 32
Physical activity in the summer heat: How hot weather moderates the relationship between built environment features and outdoor physical activity of adults.
Lanza, K, Stone, B, Chakalian, PM, Gronlund, C, Hondula, D, Larsen, L, Mallen, E, & Haardörfer, R. Journal of Physical Activity & Health. 2020; 17(3):261-269
Recent News
Growing cities under increased threat from climate change
Climate change, coupled with escalating population growth, is making big-city life increasingly risky, experts agree.
Degrees of Injustice: The Social Inequity of Urban Heat Islands
Dr. Kevin Lanza was interviewed by Texas Public radio about the social inequity of urban heat islands.
How cities can help protect transit riders from extreme heat
This summer, Puget Sound area residents experienced high temperatures like never before — heat waves made worse by impacts of climate change, experts say.
