Planners should give priority to helping people move around cities, rather than just catering for car movements. That’s the view of Stephanie Knox, one of the lead authors of ‘Healthy Spaces and Places’, a new national planning guide focused on promoting built environments that make a tangible contribution to health and wellbeing.
The guide is an Australian first in that experts from health, Local Government, planning and design have come together to produce it.
“The research brings together evidence about the connections between health and planning,” said Stephanie Knox, who is also the National Education Manager at the Planning Institute of Australia. “There is no excuse now for planners to do anything other than plan, design and create sustainable communities that encourage healthy living and wellbeing.”
Healthy Spaces and Places arose out of widespread concerns about the high levels of preventable diseases in Australia and the role that the built environment may have in this area.
“Somewhat surprising for a sport loving nation, Australia is one of the most overweight of the developed nations, with almost nine million Australians, or 54 per cent of the adult population, not undertaking enough physical activity on a daily basis,” Stephanie Knox said.
“The way the built environment is designed, planned and built affects how physically active people will be. Poorly designed low density suburbs with detached houses, very few community facilities and distance from public transport reduces residents’ choices in relation to accessibility and opportunities to interact with their immediate neighbourhood.”
This new planning guide includes urban design principles considered necessary to design and plan for increased health and wellbeing benefits.
“It cannot be stated enough,” Stephanie Knox said. “Every planning policy, development assessment decision, planning process or action can benefit people’s overall level of health and wellbeing.
“Everyday planning decisions can make a difference. What is required is for planners to routinely consider planning and design for people movements, as well as car movements.”
‘Healthy Spaces and Places’ was developed through a unique collaboration between the National Heart Foundation, the Australian Local Government Association and the Planning Institute of Australia, with funding from the Federal Department of Health and Ageing.
The guide is available from www.healthyplaces.org.au
