The Green Heart Project: Objectives, Design, and Methods

The Green Heart Project is a community-based trial to evaluate the effects of increasing greenery on urban environment and community health. The study was initiated in 2018 in a low-to-middle-income mixed-race residential area of nearly 28,000 residents in Louisville, KY. The 4 square mile area was surveyed for land use, population characteristics, and greenness, and assigned to 8 paired clusters of demographically- and environmentally matched "target" (T) and adjacent "control" (C), clusters. Ambient levels of ultrafine particles, ozone, oxides of nitrogen, and environmental noise were measured in each cluster. Individual-level data were acquired during in-person exams of 735 participants in Wave 1 (2018-2019) and 545 participants in Wave 2 (2021) to evaluate sociodemographic and psychosocial factors. Blood, urine, nail, and hair samples were collected to evaluate standard cardiovascular risk factors, inflammation, stress, and pollutant exposure. Cardiovascular function was assessed by measuring arterial stiffness and flow-mediated dilation. After completion of Wave 2, more than 8,000 mature, mostly evergreen, trees and shrubs were planted in the T clusters in 2022. Post planting environmental and individual-level data were collected during Wave 3 (2022) from 561 participants. We plan to continue following changes in area characteristics and participant health to evaluate the long-term impact of increasing urban greenery.