Impact of Urban Design on Community Health

In community development, we obsess over tax base, job creation, property values. But none of those tell us whether a place is actually working for the people who live there. It’s like trying to gauge someone’s health by looking only at their weight. We need better indicators. We need to start measuring resident health. Our surroundings impact our well-being more than our genes. The layout of a neighborhood affects how much we move. What stores are nearby affects what we eat. The design of our streets impacts how safe we feel and how often we connect with others. Research backs this up: – People in walkable places are more active, less obese, and have better mental health. – Kids in car-dependent, rural areas are 30% more likely to be overweight. – Green space reduces antidepressant use, stress, and even cardiovascular issues. – Air pollution increases hospitalizations for depression, anxiety, and psychosis. Yet almost no one at the local level is asking, “Will this make our residents healthier?” They should be. Because if a place supports your well-being, you’ll want to stay. If it chips away at it, you’ll want to leave, and not everyone can. Let’s stop treating health as a byproduct and start making it the goal. Want a stronger town? Make it a healthier place to live.

How Public Spaces Can Be Prescribed Medicine for Urban Loneliness The Bentway in Toronto just released groundbreaking research that should reshape how we think about public space as public health infrastructure. Their "Rx for Social Connection" report, developed with Gehl Studio and University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health, offers compelling evidence that thoughtful design can combat the loneliness epidemic plaguing our cities. The context is sobering: Toronto was named Canada's loneliest city in 2024, with 43% of residents never seeing their neighbors and 37% feeling lonely at least three times weekly. The World Health Organization has declared loneliness a global health threat equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes daily. Key Research Findings: 71% of Bentway visitors reported improved physical health 62% experienced better mental health 64% felt more socially connected 67% of visitors engaged with others during their visit Interactive art installations generated 20% more social interactions What Makes It Work: The research identified four critical design elements: "sticky" spaces that encourage lingering, quality seating that promotes sociability, interactive public art at human scale, and participatory programming that transforms spectators into participants. The space's emphasis on soft materials, natural landscapes, and adequate lighting creates an environment where 97% of visitors feel safe—compared to 85% in other Toronto public spaces. The Bigger Picture: As cities densify and solo living increases, we must recognize parks, squares, and public spaces as vital health infrastructure. The Bentway demonstrates how transforming underutilized urban infrastructure (in this case, space under an expressway) can address both physical and social health challenges simultaneously. For architects, urban planners, and public health professionals, this research provides a blueprint for designing spaces that don't just serve functional needs but actively combat isolation and foster community resilience. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/gfA-DguQ How are you incorporating social connection into your design work? Let's discuss the intersection of public health and public space. #PublicHealth #UrbanDesign #SocialConnection #LonelinessAwareness #DesignForWellbeing

🌳 Urban Green Spaces: A Prescription for Healthier Cities 🏙️ As cities continue to grow worldwide, we face a critical question: How can we design urban environments that promote both density AND health? Our recent research published in Communications Earth & Environment provides compelling evidence that urban greening—even in the most densely populated areas—can significantly reduce premature mortality. Key findings from our global analysis of 15,917 urban areas: ✅ Greening urban areas could prevent ~700,000 premature deaths annually ✅ The highest impact occurs in the most population-dense areas (54 deaths prevented per 100,000 people) ✅ Benefits are particularly pronounced in lower-income countries ✅ Urban compactness and greenness can coexist with proper planning The bottom line: We don't have to choose between density and green space. Strategic urban greening—through street trees, green roofs, parks, and green infrastructure—can deliver substantial public health benefits even in our most crowded cities. As we face growing urbanization and climate challenges, this research reinforces that nature-based solutions are not just "nice to have"—they're essential for creating healthy, sustainable urban futures. What strategies is your city using to integrate green spaces with urban development? Let's discuss in the comments! 🌱 #UrbanHealth #PublicHealth #GreenCities #SustainableUrbanDevelopment #ClimateAction #HealthyPlanet Read the full study: https://lnkd.in/eghFxCZX

I’m excited to see national attention shifting toward improving our health through the newly announced MAHA commission. This effort has the potential to be transformative… but only if we’re honest about what’s truly driving the chronic disease crisis in America. Right now, much of the conversation is focused on low-ROI efforts, like regulating food additives and tweaking nutritional guidelines. Yes, those things matter. But the biggest threats to our health and well-being are systemic, and we can’t fix them with band-aid solutions. If we want to make America healthy again, we need to confront the real barriers head-on: 1️⃣ Food Access, Availability, and Affordability Telling people to “eat healthy” is easy. Giving them the means to do it is much harder. Millions of Americans live in communities where nutritious, affordable food simply isn’t available. Others are forced to choose between feeding their families or paying the rent. The result? Ultra-processed, calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods dominate our diets—not because people are lazy or lack willpower, but because that’s what’s accessible. We cannot expect better health outcomes without addressing the root cause: food deserts, supply chain disparities, and economic inequities. 2️⃣ Poor Urban Planning Look around most American cities, and you’ll find a landscape built for cars—not for people. We’ve engineered physical activity out of our daily lives with suburban sprawl, inadequate public transportation, and neighborhoods that aren’t walkable. The consequences are profound: sedentary lifestyles, rising obesity rates, and the missed opportunity to use urban design to promote movement, reduce chronic disease, and even lower carbon emissions. Imagine if our cities were built to encourage walking, biking, and public transit. We’d get healthier communities and a healthier planet—at the same time. 3️⃣ Systemic Failures in Public Education Our schools are ground zero for shaping lifelong health habits, yet we’ve severely underfunded physical education, mental health support, and school meal programs. Many schools treat PE and mental health education as optional. Nutrition education? Virtually nonexistent. Meanwhile, millions of kids rely on school meals for most of their daily calories, yet many of these meals fall far short of basic nutritional standards. If we’re serious about creating a healthier future, we have to rethink the role of schools in promoting health—not just academically, but physically and mentally. This commission is a great opportunity to reshape our nation’s health. But if we focus only on surface-level fixes, we’ll miss the chance to create real change. Let’s make America healthy again, but let’s do it right: by aiming for bold, systemic change that addresses root causes, not symptoms. What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts. #PublicHealth #SystemsThinking #UrbanPlanning #FoodSecurity #EducationReform #SustainableChange

“Technology isn’t the only solution; human power is the greatest force.” As a public health professional within the design industry, I found myself bridging siloes of these professions at my first day at #COP28. A few takeaways: 1.      Creating urban environments for #childhealth requires a focus on prevention that addresses the double burden of infectious and chronic diseases in low- and middle-income countries. Community and youth voices can be prioritized if we are proactive in forming an alliance between designers and public health professionals. Design Firms: Hire or consult with public health researchers and practitioners, early and often to increase human resilience and adaptation. Public Health’rs: Reach out to design and urban planning organizations. All public projects require a hired design professional. Don’t be intimidated by their perfect font selection and renderings. 2.    Individuals with chronic conditions or living with a #disability experience climate threats daily. Designing a safe, sustainable planet must encompass the full “door-to-door” experience, not single discrete elements (Nadia Hadad). Design Firms: Integrate disability from the start. Educate your teams and be intentional about increasing representation of individuals with disabilities in the process so we can deconstruct ableism. Carly Krakow said it best “We cannot say 'net zero' first, then let’s deal with people with disabilities, this is a false and dangerous narrative.” Public Health’rs: Continue and expand research on the disproportionate climate impacts affecting people with disabilities, chronic conditions and older adults. Emina Cerimovic shared that 95% of 2021 Canadian heat wave deaths were people with chronic conditions or disabilities. Quantified impacts across all climate threats are still lacking. 3.    Nature-based solutions have greater health co-benefits than hard infrastructure that remains static. Research continues to illuminate the economic and carbon benefits of natural environment restoration. Check out Siddharth Narayan's research to learn more.   Design Firms: Embrace natural solutions that meet the local needs of the community. If Bangkok is sinking faster than sea level rise due to combined precipitation variability and flooding, then a seawall will not support a vibrant community. Kotchakorn Voraakhom   Public Health’rs: Continue to quantify the health benefits of nature in both urban and rural areas. Just because there are trees in rural environments, doesn’t mean the full benefits of thoughtful landscape architecture are realized. Shout out to Torey Carter-Conneen, CAE for being on the quest to expand this (public health) profession. A huge thank you to The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the incredible "Week 2" delegates who have quickly become my friends, Emily Grandstaff-Rice FAIA, Derek Washam, Lisa M. Ferretto, and Li Ren. #climatejustice #publichealth #architecture #design

A truly outstanding research initiative by DePaul University to understand the impact of public spaces on people's well being and emotions: Researchers are looking at the built environment and public spaces with the help of high-tech wearable eye-tracking glasses to understand eye movements and heart rates while recording detailed location data. Kimberly Quinn, DePaul’s psychology department chair, and Michelle Stuhlmacher, assistant professor of geography and geographic information systems, aim to show the psychological effects of public spaces and urban design. I love and admire this initiative that over the next 3 years will gather data on people’s emotions and reactions through the glasses, a mobile app and GPS mapping. Its focus is to answer questions like: How does a space make one feel? Is the space experienced differently by different demographics and psychographics? How can the space improved with alternative spatial configurations or more open and green space? The initiative's goal is to develop insights and an actionable protocol for architects, designers, and urban planners. The project, funded by a $750,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, will be conducted with community groups and individuals in Chicago — including environmental neuroscientist Kim Meidenbauer of Washington State University, as well as social psychologist Sophie Trawalter and infrastructure designer Leidy Klotz, both from the University of Virginia. Congratulations to everyone involved on an important research project with far reaching real world implications!

New study links brighter city street lights to more #insomnia problems As cities grow and develop, outdoor lighting becomes an increasingly common part of urban life. A new study published in JAMA Network Open examines how this nighttime lighting affects sleep by analyzing over 1.1 million social media posts about sleep problems across Chinese cities. The study used social media data from Weibo, China's major social platform, to track insomnia patterns across 336 cities. This approach allowed researchers to analyze real-time reports of sleep difficulties across a diverse population exposed to different levels of nighttime lighting. Key findings: - Higher levels of nighttime street lighting were directly linked to more reports of sleep problems - Citizens in mall and medium-sized cities were more affected by increases in bright nighttime lighting than citizens in large cities in regard to insomnia occurence - Sleep problems increased more during extreme weather conditions and on days with poor air quality - Even modest increases in street lighting had noticeable effects on sleep quality, especially in areas that were previously darker Apart from concluding that street lights are connected to sleep problems, the research has implications for urban planning, especially in developing nations seeing rapid growth in artificial lighting. With China's nighttime light increasing by over 6% annually, understanding these health impacts becomes relevant for public policy decisions. As cities worldwide continue to add more nighttime lighting, this study highlights the importance of thoughtful lighting design that considers both urban development and human health. The findings indicate that careful planning might be most beneficial in smaller (and larger) cities still in early stages of development, where proper lighting infrastructure could help prevent sleep-related health issues. Study: https://lnkd.in/dmzkDCBA #lighting #urbanplanning #cityplanning #architecture #sleep #sleephealth #research #medicine #education

What design characteristics of a third place can help improve social health? How can we ensure that a focus on efficiency and cost savings does not crowd out the need to preserve and promote human connection? Such concerns are especially pertinent as loneliness and social isolation become more prevalent. This semi-structured literature review, written by Erin K. Peavey, offers guidelines to design spaces that combat loneliness and social isolation and foster social capital and community. It is aimed at architects, designers, city planners, and policy makers. "Perhaps the most foundational attribute of a good third place is that it is accessible to those who can use it. The best versions foster a sense of ownership and become regular parts of people’s lives. This requires safe, convenient, affordable, and comfortable access to the place. For children, this means they can gather, play, and explore with some independence from parents as developmentally appropriate. For senior adults or people with disabilities, this means that there are easy physical access options, benches to rest, and spaces to shelter them from the elements. For all ages, the ideal is a space that is within walking distance from home, work, or school. Humans evolved to navigate our worlds on our feet, and much research has shown the benefits of physical activity on the health of our minds and bodies, and the role of walkable streets, neighborhoods, and cities in fostering wellbeing." Placemaking Education PlacemakingX Ofri Earon Ethan Kent HKS, Inc. Julianne Holt-Lunstad #loneliness #isolation #urbandesign #communityhealth #relationships #socialcapital https://lnkd.in/esT-BjEP

Dedicated Bike Paths ++ [improving communities] Implementing active living initiatives in cities is vital for enhancing both public health and urban sustainability. Amsterdam exemplifies the positive impact of prioritizing physical activity, as it is renowned for its extensive cycling infrastructure and pedestrian-friendly design. The city's investment in dedicated bike paths, accessible parks, and diverse public transportation options encourages residents to incorporate movement into their daily routines naturally. This active lifestyle not only reduces reliance on motor vehicles, decreasing pollution and traffic congestion, but also promotes physical and mental well-being among citizens. Moreover, Amsterdam’s vibrant, inclusive cultural scene fosters a sense of community and social cohesion, further enriching residents' quality of life. Overall, cities that embrace active living create healthier, more sustainable, and more engaging environments for their inhabitants.