WASHINGTON, DC, DECEMBER 8, 2025 ~ Washington, DC - The Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC), Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), and Virginia Commonwealth University's Center on Society and Health have joined forces to address the significant disparities in life expectancy among neighborhoods in U.S. cities. With a generous grant of $1.5 million from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the three organizations will work together to create a national network that helps BCHC member cities access and utilize life expectancy data to improve health outcomes for all residents.

According to a recent study, there can be a difference of more than 30 years in lifespan between neighborhoods in some U.S. cities. This disparity is driven by structural racism, residential segregation, disinvestment, and inequities in economic opportunity, housing, employment, and community assets.

The CitiesLEAD: Increasing Life Expectancy through Collective Action and Data project aims to provide technical assistance, data analysis, and peer-learning opportunities for participating cities to translate life expectancy data into action. Additionally, BCHC will develop a new "Health Equity Barometer" that cities can use to track progress and share insights with their communities.

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Chrissie Juliano, MPP, Executive Director of BCHC, expressed her excitement about the project's potential impact: "This project is a great example of how an initiative in one place can seed work in cities across the country. Following the data can lead us to healthier outcomes for all – and that means safer, more prosperous communities, something we can all get behind. We are very grateful to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for sharing that vision and supporting this work."

The Boston Public Health Commission will serve as the founding health department and implementation partner for CitiesLEAD. Their Live Long and Well population health equity agenda has been recognized as a national model for addressing life expectancy gaps.

Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Boston Bisola Ojikutu, MD, MPH, FIDSA, emphasized the importance of closing these gaps and advancing health equity for all residents: "In Boston, life expectancy differs by as much as 23 years between neighborhoods due to long-standing inequities in social determinants of health and access to care. As the founding health department for CitiesLEAD, we look forward to working with other cities across the nation as they launch their own initiatives. Thank you to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for investing in this critical effort."

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The project will also receive technical and methodological support from Virginia Commonwealth University's Center on Society and Health (CSH), a national leader in measuring and communicating the social determinants of health. CSH researchers have been studying life expectancy disparities across U.S. neighborhoods for nearly two decades and have helped cities nationwide translate data into meaningful policy and practice.

Derek Chapman, PhD, director of the VCU Center on Society and Health and lead investigator for the center's work on the project, highlighted the importance of addressing health inequities: "The length of your life shouldn't depend on your ZIP code or the color of your skin. CitiesLEAD will provide cities with the tools and expertise they need to take measurable action on health inequities."

The strategy for CitiesLEAD is built upon three interconnected pillars: data, communication, and community action. City leaders will be supported in calculating, interpreting, and visualizing life expectancy data at the neighborhood level. The project also aims to use data to challenge harmful narratives about inequities and share transformative stories of progress. Most importantly, it will support local partnerships and interventions that address structural inequities and root causes of poor health outcomes.

With this collaborative effort between BCHC, BPHC, VCU CSH, and RWJF's generous funding, CitiesLEAD has great potential to make a significant impact in reducing disparities in life expectancy among U.S. cities.

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