The ingredients of healthy city policy: drawing the lessons of good planning practice from around the world

Abstract

The importance of built environment as a determinant of health is both accepted in the literature and reflected in a myriad of aspects including design of towns, travelling patterns, quality of housing, of urban greenspace, water supply, air quality. Evidence is increasing to prove the relationship between healthy behaviour and quality environment, a range of health outcomes (physical, mental, equality, safety…) can be gained from quality environments. Planning as a determinant of the built environment can be potentially a key driver of change: Processes and approaches linked to planning and the ability to shape the built environment so it delivers healthy outcomes are manifold including the stages of planning processes and related processes. The way health issues and well-being strategies are being pursued through spatial planning are different in a wide variety of countries and settings. The paper will analyse and reflect on good practice of uniting health and planning, drawing examples from Europe, India, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada. The focus can be on spatial solutions and/or effective processes. We will reflect on the way obstacles have been negotiated and healthy urban environments achieved drawing out general principles and potentially transferable policy approaches.