Presentation of the key findings of the OECD report on Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens published on 13 November 2023

1. 13 NOVEMBER 2023
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
THROUGH A WELL-BEING LENS
- KEY FINDINGS -

2. © OECD |
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens
1. Viewing the built environment through a well-
being lens: what this means for definitions and
measurement
2. The state of the built environment and how it
impacts well-being and sustainability
3. Next steps: Integrated Policy Approaches
for the built environment and well-being
Objective: To provide a framework for understanding the built environment through a well-being lens
2
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens
Access the report: https://oe.cd/bltenv

3. © OECD |
How is the built environment defined?
• The built environment, as opposed to the natural environment, is human-made environment which has
been built to serve human purposes.
• No agreed international definition : Variety of approaches and definitions
o Focus on individual elements (e.g. buildings) vs. Focus on the broader built environment and
its interactions with environment and society
o Socio-economic perceptions and cultural contexts of the built environment keeps changing
over time (e.g. industrial revolution)
 Countries’ definitions of the built environment
 The physical infrastructure that shapes the ability of an individual to meet basic needs;
and the local built environment that determines access to infrastructure and broader
services (Government of Ireland)
 Urban areas, the form, shape and accessibility of homes, work, and play which all
have a direct influence on the quality of lives (NZ’s Ministry of Health)
 The man-made or modified structure that provide people living, working, and
recreational spaces (US’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA))
3
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens

4. © OECD | 4
• How built environment matters to the many
facets of people’s well-being:
- Material Living Conditions
- Quality of Life
- Community relations
• How the built environment impacts inequalities
and opportunities:
- Affordability is a major issue for low-income
groups
- Disadvantaged neighborhoods impair social
mobility
- Segregation and discrimination
• How built environment matters to
sustainability:
- The footprint of the built environment is
significant
- Resilience of the built environment to
climate-related events will be key
Putting a well-being lens to the built environment
The OECD Well-Being Framework
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens

5. © OECD |
• Housing provides
shelter, but also
impacts people’s
health, income and
wealth,
environmental
quality and social
connections
Housing
• Transport impacts
people’s well-being
through providing
access to job
opportunities as
well as life-
enhancing
activities
Transport
• People’s well-being
is shaped by the
physical setting in
open spaces such as
neighbourhoods,
streets and cities,
especially how they
are designed and
arranged
Urban
design/land use
• Technical
infrastructure such
as energy, water
and waste
management,
provides essential
services and helps
maximize people’s
well-being
Technical
infrastructure
5
Key components of built environment for people’s well-being
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens

6. © OECD |
After a 9% drop over 2000-10, investment in the built environment grew by 12% in
the last 10 years on average in the OECD
As result of investment, most
OECD countries experienced a
growth in the stock value of the
built environment in the last two
decades.
Note: Data refer to 2020, instead of 2021, for Colombia, Japan, New Zealand. The OECD average excludes Belgium, Greece and Turkiye, due to
missing data or breaks in the series.
Source: OECD Calculations based on the OECD National Accounts Statistics (database): 1. Gross domestic product,
http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=SNA_TABLE1.
Cumulative growth, percentage
How can the built environment be measured?
6
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens

7. © OECD |
Housing is important for the financial security of
households.
o Housing cost is the single-largest household
expenditure item (22%), followed by food and non-
alcoholic beverages (14%) and transport (13%).
 Lower income households bear the larger
burden of housing costs.
o Housing is the most widely owned asset in
households’ wealth, while property debt is the
largest liability in households’ portfolios.
 The main residence accounts for 61% of gross
assets for the bottom 40% of households,
while this share is only 34% for the top 10%.
Almost 20% of lower income households in OECD
countries spend more than 40% of their income on
housing (i.e. rent and mortgage costs)
Percentage of households in the bottom 40% of the income distribution spending
more than 40% of their disposable income on total housing costs
Source: OECD Affordable Housing Database, http://www.oecd.org/social/affordable-
housing-database.htm.
Housing and Well-being
Wealth and consumption
Housing
7
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
2020 or latest available year 2010 or earliest available year
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens

8. © OECD |
Poor housing conditions are associated with poor
physical health conditions.
o Damp, mould, cold, and crowded housing→ adverse
health outcomes
o Risks of respiratory infections in children
o More at risk to COVID-19
Housing conditions are significant drivers of mental
health conditions.
o Overall housing quality associated with psychological
well-being
o Overcrowded houses with little privacy linked to mental
stress, anxiety, depression and lower life satisfaction
On average, in the bottom income quintile,
almost 30% of children live in overcrowded
conditions, more than the working-age
population (24%) and the elderly (9%)
Percentage of the population in the bottom quintile of the income distribution
living in overcrowded dwellings, by age group
Source: OECD Affordable Housing Database, http://www.oecd.org/social/affordable-
housing-database.htm.
Housing and Well-being
Health
Housing
8
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens

9. © OECD |
Green areas as a share of functional urban
areas (city & its commuting zone) in OECD
capital cities ranges from 12% to 67%
o Urban green areas mitigate exposure to air
pollution, excessive heat and noise.
o They contribute to carbon neutrality and foster
pro-environmental behaviours.
o Green areas have the potential to be a nature-
based negative emissions solution.
o However, there are costs and emissions related
to construction, maintenance and disposal.
Source: OECD Regions and Cities, Metropolitan areas (database),
https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=CITIES.
Urban green areas in OECD capital cities, 2020
Urban design/land use and Well-being
Urban design/land use
9
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens

10. © OECD |
65% of city area is open space for public use on
average in the OECD
Spaces become places when they provide setting for
social connections.
o Walkable and less dense neighbourhoods are
associated with higher neighbourhood social
cohesion.
o On the other hand, social interactions are more
frequent in denser urban areas.
The built environment can compound or alleviate
loneliness.
o Neighbourhoods with high building heights and
without communal areas can impede social
interaction.
Note: The latest available year is 2018 for Iceland. The cities with the smallest and
largest open space as a percentage of urban area are shown when data for at
least two cities in the country are available.
Source: UN Global SDG Indicator (database), indicator 11.7.1,
https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/dataportal.
Percentage of city area that is open space for public use for all, by smallest,
largest and average inter-city level, 2020 or latest available year
Urban design/land use and Well-being
Social Connections
Urban design/land use
10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
city with smallest open space average city level city with largest open space
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens

11. © OECD |
More than 80% of the population in OECD large
metropolitan areas has convenient access to
public transport, however access varies widely
across and within countries
Percentage of the population that has convenient access to public transport
in largest metropolitan areas, best and worst city access and average
country access, 2020 or latest available year
Source: UN Global SDG Indicator Database, indicator 11.2.1,
https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/dataportal
Transport
• Poor access to transport options impairs access
to jobs, education, health facilities and social
networks.
o People in disadvantaged communities often have
less well-maintained infrastructure.
o Lack of public transport connections between
minority neighbourhoods and employment centres
hinders job opportunities.
• Clear link between commuting time, commuting
mode & job satisfaction.
o Longer commutes lead to decreased job
satisfaction, reduce leisure time, increase strain and
reduce mental health.
Transport and Well-being
Access to opportunities
11
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
city with worst access country average access city with best access
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens

12. © OECD |
Next steps: Towards a common understanding of the relationship
between the built environment and well-being
• Housing quality: ‘very poor standard of housing’ (Austria), ‘quality of housing’ (Iceland, New Zealand), ‘living space per capita’
(Korea)
• Housing affordability: ‘housing cost’ (New Zealand), ‘home-ownership rate’ (Korea), ‘at risk of poverty rate after rent and
mortgage interest’ (Ireland), ‘housing cost overburden’ (Austria, Iceland), ‘ratio of rental costs to net household income’ (Germany)
• Access to services: ‘timely access to primary care provider’ (Canada), ‘travel time to educational, service and cultural facilities’
(Germany), ‘average distance to everyday services’ (Ireland)
• Satisfaction about the living environment: 'satisfaction rates on air and water quality’ (Korea), ‘subjective environmental stress
in the living environment’ (Austria)
12
Many countries have already embedded aspects of the built environment
in their well-being frameworks or indicators
 Despite the large use of built environment-related well-being indicators, there is still a lack of harmonisation
on definitions or measurement across countries.
Examples of indicators on built environment in national well-being frameworks
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens

13. © OECD |
Next steps: Towards an integrated policy approach
13
the built environment policies on well-being
Refocus
• Built environment needs to focus on maxisiming outcomes for people (safety, livability, connectedness,
inclusion and cohesion), as opposed to being conceived as an economic investment only
the built environment using well-being evidence
Redesign
• Integrating well-being and sustainability impact assessments and other appraisal tools in the design of built
environment policies is key
the policy structures that support the built environment
Realign
• A well-being lens can help the public and private agencies to overcome traditional government silos and
coalesce around a common vision for the built environment.
the various public, private and civil society actors
Reconnect
• A well-being approach can be used to support dialogue and engagement among the multitude of actors that
create, shape and use the built environment.
A well-being lens of 4‘R’s (Refocus, Redesign, Realign, Reconnect)
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens

14. © OECD |
Next steps: Towards an integrated policy approach
14
Ireland’s Sustainable Mobility Policy (SMP, 2022)
 Refocusing on “Sustainable Mobility”
 Redesigning the transport system addressing multiple dimensions of people’s needs
 Realigning land-use and transport planning
 Reconnecting through public consultation and stakeholder engagement
A well-being lens of 4‘R’s (Refocus, Redesign, Realign, Reconnect)
New Zealand’s Housing and Urban Policies (e.g. Government Policy Statement on
Housing and Urban Development (GPS-HUD, 2021))
 Refocusing on “Wellbeing through housing”
 Redesigning policies with well-being evidence
 Realigning different agencies and partners around a common vision of success
 Reconnecting with the wider community such as the private sector and the Māori
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens

15. © OECD |
• Find out more about WISE’s work: https://www.oecd.org/wise
• Consult WISE’s upcoming events: https://www.oecd.org/wise/events
• Subscribe to WISE’s newsletter: https://oe.cd/wellbeingnews
• Contact us: wellbeing@oecd.org
Stay in touch with the OECD WISE Centre
15
Built Environment through a Well-Being Lens