THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, June 12, 1995 TAG: 9506120038
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE WATSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Virginia Beach and Hampton are two of the nation's healthiest cities for children, according to a group that monitors population and the environment.
The Beach ranks 10th and Hampton 18th out of 207 cities in a new ranking by the Washington-based Zero Population Growth.
``We want people to use the data in the index, see where they're doing well and not doing well and use it to prioritize funding to improve environmental policies,'' said Sharon Pickett, spokeswoman for the group.
The group defines ``environment'' in a broad sense, including both social and physical conditions that influence children's development. Its survey uses 14 indicators, such as high-school dropout rate, violent-crime rate, unemployment and the number of Safe Drinking Water Act violations.
The top 10 cities are Madison, Wis.; Burlington, Vt.; Stamford, Conn.; Fargo, N.D.; Lincoln, Neb.; Overland Park, Kan.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Livonia, Mich.; Green Bay, Wis.; and Virginia Beach.
All other Hampton Roads cities included in the survey rank in the top half of the list. Chesapeake is 38; Newport News, 63; Portsmouth, 65; and Norfolk, 91.
The ranking shows the interrelation of several urban problems. There is a high correlation between child poverty and births to teens. Also, cities with high percentages of poor children had high unemployment, crime and dropout rates.
``High teen pregnancy rates are related to lack of educational attainment and opportunities,'' said ZPG board President Dianne Dillon-Ridgley.
``This, in turn, leads to poor job skills and unemployment and more child poverty.''
Zero Population Growth hopes the study will dramatize problems of overpopulation. The U.S. population is about 260 million and growing by more than 3 million people a year, faster than that of any other industrialized nation.
In the survey, the largest cities generally scored lowest.
``We want people to understand that problems that face people today are compounded by growing numbers of people,'' Pickett said.
``People need to look at the reality that more people means more pollution, more traffic and gridlock, more land that will be converted into shopping malls.''
Pickett said that solutions lie in a broad attack on population growth. She advocates access to affordable and safe contraception, availability of abortion and school-based sex education and health services.
She said individuals can do their part by reducing consumption and having small families.
``When people understand the magnitude of the problem, they are upset but understand something needs to be done,'' Pickett said.
``This takes a combination of individual and government approaches.''
The 10 cities with the lowest ranking are St. Louis; Riverside, Calif.; Atlanta; Pomona, Calif.; Los Angeles; Inglewood, Calif.; El Monte, Calif.; Long Beach, Calif.; Newark, N.J.; and San Bernadino, Calif. ILLUSTRATION: Color staff graphic by John Corbitt
Virginia Beach Rates High
Source: Zero Population Growth
For copy of graphic, see microfilm
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH RANK SURVEY by CNB