Case Study: Blue Sea Development Company achieves improved resident health and reduced asthma risk with Vitality

Blue Sea Development Company - Customer Case Study

Blue Sea Development Company, a New York City real estate developer of affordable housing, faced the challenge of addressing high rates of asthma and chronic disease in the South Bronx while delivering units under the city’s New Housing Marketplace Plan. Vitality documented this work in its Beyond the Four Walls community health case study, highlighting Blue Sea Development Company’s use of Active Design principles at Arbor House — a 124‑unit mixed affordable development intended to improve resident health through healthier building design and programming.

Vitality’s case study describes Blue Sea’s implemented solutions — indoor/outdoor fitness areas, prominent, well‑lit stairwells with music and signage, a 10,000 sq. ft. rooftop hydroponic farm (operated as a CSA), smoke‑free policies, low‑VOC materials, and 95% construction waste recycling — and reports measurable outcomes from a Mount Sinai qualitative evaluation. The study found consistent behavioral changes (all 6 Arbor House participants noted elevator design encouraged stair use; 4 of 5 used the gym regularly), community food access (about 40% of rooftop produce distributed locally), LEED Platinum performance across projects, and suggestive evidence of reduced asthma symptoms; Vitality uses these findings to promote scaling Active Design in affordable housing.

Blue Sea Development Company