More than a sweet tooth: Exploring the role of the built environment in the South Side of Chicago diabetes epidemic

Abstract

Diabetes has reached epic proportions across the world. Industrialization and urbanization transformed the issue of disease from one of communicability to chronicity. From cardiovascular diseases to cancer to diabetes, the world faces many long-term health conditions. The built environment is one way to better understand the experiences of individuals living with chronic illnesses. Through the lenses of agency, mobility, duality of space, and social support, this thesis delves deep into the impact of the South Side of Chicago’s built environment on the management of type 2 diabetes. In addition, this work demonstrates that the COVID-19 pandemic renewed a sense of urgency in many individuals living with type 2 diabetes, encouraging them to take control of their health again. This thesis argues for an interdisciplinary methodology in the development of a holistic understanding of chronic illnesses and proposes policy solutions for alleviating the diabetes epidemic on the South Side.