There is a growing body of evidence which is implicating the planning and design of the built environment and in particular the way in which we have constructed our towns and cities over the last five decades as fuelling the obesity epidemic [1].

In particular three interacting dynamics are seen as important [2];

1. The physical design of town and cities, for example how easy they are to negotiate and how well connected housing is to local shops and services.
2. Land-use patterns, in particular an increasing tendency to clearly divide uses up into mono-cultural zones of housing, commerce, industry which require motorised transportation between them, and;
3. Transportation systems themselves, with an increasing reliance on private car transport (see transport)
   

The key proposition here is that traditionally towns and cities were designed around walking distances. Therefore when new housing was required at a distance too far to walk to existing shops and services, neighbourhoods would be developed along with their own local amenities and centres.

It is argued that these traditional neighbourhoods remain ‘walkable’ and therefore encourage people to undertaken physical activity through active travel (i.e. walking or cycling). In contrast modern sprawling, car-dependant, neighbourhoods which have been developed since the 1950s, actively discourage active travel [3]. (for more see design) 

There is therefore a need for planners to more carefully consider health issues into their decision making processes and to reinvigorate collaboration between public health and urban planning.

This was recognised by the inception of the World Health Organisation’s ‘Healthy Cities’ Project which suggests a holistic approach to healthy urban environments where physical and social environments are continually improved and community resources strengthened to help people achieve their full potential.

Townshend TG, Lake AA, Ogilvie JA

References

1. Frank LD, Engelke PO, Schmid TL. Health and Community Design: the impact of the built environment and physical activity. Washington: Island Press.; 2003.
2. Handy SL, Boarnet MG, Ewing R, Killingsworth RE. How the built environment affects physical activity: Views from urban planning. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2002;23(2, Supplement 1):64-73.
3. Frank LD, Andresen MA, Schmid TL. Obesity relationships with community design, physical activity, and time spent in cars. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2004;27(2):87-96..

Further Reading

Frumkin H, Frank L, Jackson R. Urban Sprawl and Public Health: designing, planning, and building for healthy communities. Washington: Island Press.; 2004.

Links

Building Health campaign by National Hearth Forum; Living Streets and Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.  Read more here

World Health Orgainisation (WHO) Healthy Cities campaign. Read more here

< back

© NEON 2007

Email: info@neoen.org.uk