How urban planning can improve public health

It could be something else—noise pollution, persistent odors in the neighborhood, lack of familial support, mental health, social and cultural fears like graffiti on the wall, condoms in the gutter, local crime reports.

So Clarke took the additional step of using mobile wearable sensors with study participants to establish exactly how difficult it is to walk in certain environments, how much effort actually went into lifting their feet over uneven spots in the sidewalk, and so on. With this third step of using mobile sensors, we were able to show that many of the physical challenges they were describing do cause mobility difficulty in real time for these vulnerable people.

Given the level of detail each of these data sets provides, Clarke says that the process could eventually result in customized assessments for individuals living in particular neighborhoods.

Mehdipanah, Kinder, and Clarke believe this type of highly interdisciplinary approach—combining physical-environmental data, population survey data, quantified ergonomic data, and socio-demographic data—is a promising new frontier for making our cities healthier.

This article first appeared in the fall issue of Findings , the magazine of the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She specializes in innovative research methods including realist evaluations and concept mapping to develop conceptual frameworks linking complex interventions to health. Philippa J. Her current work examines effects of the built environment on human health, effects of the urban environment on disability trajectories over time, factors influencing the use of assistive devices in later life, and cross-national disparities in disability and psychosocial resources.

Her research focuses on the social, cultural, and political aspects of urban landscapes. Departments News Findings magazine Giving Maps. Modern urban environments suffer from a number of complex issues that affect public health and well-being, including overcrowding, housing shortages, harmful industrial operations, human waste, and outbreaks of infectious disease. These risks will only grow more pressing over time, as the World Health Organization estimates that seven out of every 10 people will live in cities by , up from four out of 10 during the s.

Tackling these issues will take the full commitment of public health officials, urban planning experts, and municipal authorities, who must work together to find practical and sustainable solutions to offset the consequences of rapid urbanization. But the development of effective urban health plans relies on targeted improvements across a variety of problem areas, requiring focused and meaningful cross-discipline collaboration.

Some of the target areas include:. These are just a few examples of how the relationship between public health and urban planning has contributed to healthier living conditions in cities around the world, yet the work is far from over. At Regis College, we help individuals who want to improve public health and well-being by providing the skills and expertise they need through our online Master of Public Health program. The online degree features two important concentrations, Public Health Policy and Management or Epidemiology, which include 14 specialized courses on a range of essential health-related topics.

Contact us today for more information. How an MPH can prepare you for creating health policy. Impact of changes in transportation and commuting behaviors during the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta on air quality and childhood asthma by The Journal of the American Medical Association. Urban planning essential for public health by The World Health Organization. Wherever you are in your career and wherever you want to be, look to Regis for a direct path, no matter your education level.

Fill out the form to learn more about our program options or get started on your application today. Skip to main content. What is the relationship between public health and urban planning? A history of collaboration At first, public health was largely interested in biological models that prioritized the study of the human body over the interplay of personal health and environmental factors. Where the disciplines overlap Modern urban environments suffer from a number of complex issues that affect public health and well-being, including overcrowding, housing shortages, harmful industrial operations, human waste, and outbreaks of infectious disease.

Some of the target areas include: Infectious and chronic disease prevention: Urban reform is one of the best ways to prevent diseases from taking hold of densely populated areas, as greater attention to neighborhood-level effects on health can help experts identify issues before they grow out of control. While infectious diseases will likely continue to be an inevitable reality of urban living, chronic illnesses, like diabetes and heart disease, may be negated through healthy diets and physical activity.

Residents of two low-income communities in Louisville cleared land for a farm that now produces good-quality food for people with little access to healthy options. Planners are also paying increasing attention to encouraging physical activity by making it easier and safer for people to recreate, walk, bike and take public transportation.

Longevity studies show that people live the longest in environments where physical activity is part of everyday life. Providing more walkable spaces, better protected bike lanes and more recreational spaces are important steps.

But even smaller changes can be effective. Cities can close off streets on weekends to encourage communities to get out and walk. They also can provide more seating in public places, so that less-fit residents can rest during their journeys.

Using public spaces in cities as places where people can exercise promotes equity, rather than allowing physical activity to become restricted to private gyms with often-expensive monthly fees. Studies show that when cities are designed to provide walkability, bikeability, public transportation and more attractive green recreational spaces, then physical activity across the entire community increases. The changes encouraged residents to walk more and get more exercise.

Play adult sports at Minneapolis Parks this winter! Get your squad together and grab a spot in one or more! It will be expensive to create healthier cities. But a recent survey of mayors revealed that a majority believes their cities were too car-centric. Many wanted to invest more in bike infrastructure, parks and public sports complexes. The US health care system, with its emphasis on tests and interventions to treat individual illness rather than on prevention, is the most expensive in the world with only modest levels of health outcomes and life expectancy compared to similarly wealthy countries.

Integrating better diets and more physical activity into everyday urban life can help Americans become healthier more effectively, and at less cost.