Uploaded byDesign Council
Sarah Burgess - Planning and health: The Evidence
This document discusses the relationship between planning, the built environment, and health. It provides an overview of current research showing that neighborhoods with higher density, a mix of land uses, good connectivity, and pedestrian facilities are associated with increased utility and recreational walking. Interventions like traffic calming, mixed priority routes, and public realm improvements can encourage walking. However, more research is still needed to establish causality and evaluate interventions using consistent methods. The challenges include providing evidence to justify policy changes to support healthier communities through urban planning.
Sarah Burgess - Planning and health: The Evidence
- 1. Planning and health- the evidence Sarah Burgess WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments, UWE, Bristol Sarah2.Burgess@uwe.ac.uk
- 2. Health and planning •Overview: a growing agenda • Current research • Challenges and priorities
- 3.
- 4. Current research • Healthyplanning audit • Walking-friendly environment • Healthy built environments
- 5. Healthy planning audit • Key findings: – Knowledge sharing – Cross-discipline working – Evidence and best practice – Evidenced standards – Health impacts http://www.apho.org.uk/resource/item.aspx?RID=119706 http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/aio/28692849
- 6. Walking-friendly environments Study report available at: http://www.livingstreets.org.uk/ professionals/making-the-case- for-investment-in-the-walking- environment
- 7. The benefits ofincreased walking • Physical health • Reduced risk of all-cause mortality by up to 20% • Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 30% (2004: £29bn) • Reduced obesity (2001: £7bn, 2015: £27bn) • Mental health (2009: £106bn) • Improved self-esteem, mood and mindset • Reduced stress • Increased social interaction Sense of community Social capital
- 8. Long-term decline inwalking trips Trips per person per year Source: National Travel Survey (various years)
- 9. Types of study Adapted from Williams and Dair (2007)
- 10. Higher density Consistent evidencethat higher density neighbourhoods are associated with greater utility walking levels Source: Morag Lindsey Source: Morag Lindsey
- 11. Greater land usemix Consistent evidence that neighbourhoods with more destinations are associated with greater utility walking levels Some evidence that the number of destinations is also related to recreational walking levels Source: Morag Lindsey Source: e-architect.co.uk Source: Morag Lindsey
- 12. Connectivity Consistent evidence thatneighbourhoods with better connectivity are associated with greater utility walking levels
- 13. Pedestrian facilities Consistentevidence that neighbourhoods with a more pedestrian facilities are associated with greater recreational walking levels Some evidence that more pedestrian facilities are also related to utility walking levels Source: Morag Lindsey Source: Morag Lindsey Copyright: The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
- 14. Aesthetics Consistent evidence thatneighbourhoods with a more interesting or attractive features are associated with greater recreational walking levels Source: Morag Lindsey Source: Morag Lindsey Copyright: Gehl Architects
- 15. Personal safety Some evidencethat neighbourhoods with greater levels of personal safety are associated with greater recreational and utility walking levels Source: Morag Lindsey Source: Morag Lindsey Source: Morag Lindsey
- 16. Parks and openspace Some evidence that neighbourhoods with greater access to good quality parks and open spaces are associated with greater utility walking levels Source: Morag Lindsey Source: Morag Lindsey Source: Morag Lindsey
- 17. Built environment characteristicsassociated with more walking Consistent Mixed evidence No evidence evidence Utility walking Higher density Parks/open space Traffic Land use mix Personal safety Aesthetics Connectivity Pedestrian facilities Recreational Pedestrian facilities Personal safety Higher density walking Aesthetics Land use mix Connectivity Parks/open space Traffic
- 18. Built environment interventions Context Interventions Residential streets Traffic calming, Home Zones Busy, mixed use streets Mixed priority routes, shared space Schools Safe routes to schools Traffic-free connections Shared use paths Urban centres Public realm improvements, pedestrianisation Area-wide Lower speed limits, mixed infrastructure and marketing
- 19.
- 20. Review of BE& physical activity 769 articles 55 review papers (published 2000- 2010) 37 studies reviews
- 21. Key themes • Distance,density and mixed uses • Connectivity of street networks • High quality and well maintained infrastructure and facilities • Designing for safety • Incidental movement (visible stairs) • Access to good quality and safe open space http://www.be.unsw.edu.au/programs/healthy-built-environments-program/literature- review
- 22. Challenges and priorities • Causality • Self-selection • Monitoring interventions • Consistent and objective methods • Evidence to justify policy change
- 23. With thanks • Walking-friendlyenvironments: • Danielle Sinnett, Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments, UWE • Kiron Chatterjee, Centre for Transport & Society, UWE • Katie Williams, Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments, UWE • Nick Cavill, Cavill Associates http://www.livingstreets.org.uk/professionals/making-the-case-for-investment- in-the-walking-environment • Healthy Built Environments: • Susan Thompson, University of New South Wales, Australia http://www.be.unsw.edu.au/programs/healthy-built-environments- program/literature-review
- 24. Thank you. Sarah Burgess WHOCollaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments University of the West of England, Bristol www.uwe.ac.uk/research/who Sarah2.burgess@uwe.ac.uk