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.

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. A growing agenda

4. Current research
• Healthy planning
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 of increased 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 in walking 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 evidence that higher density neighbourhoods are associated
with greater utility walking levels
Source: Morag Lindsey Source: Morag Lindsey

11. Greater land use mix
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 that neighbourhoods with better connectivity are
associated with greater utility walking levels

13. Pedestrian facilities
Consistent evidence 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 that neighbourhoods 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 evidence that 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 open space
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 characteristics associated
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. Healthy built environments

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-friendly environments:
• 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
WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments
University of the West of England, Bristol
www.uwe.ac.uk/research/who
Sarah2.burgess@uwe.ac.uk