Work Programme

Urban Environments and Health

Some of the greatest advances in the history of public health came from its influence on urban planning. However in recent decades the involvement of public health professionals in issues such as urban development, planning, and transport has diminished and there has emerged a range of health problems which are at least in part associated with how we live in our towns and cities today. Car dependency has contributed to physical inactivity, increasing levels of overweight and obesity and a rising incidence of illness and disease associated with this. In some areas air pollution is a problem and in other settlements access to basic goods and services to support healthy living is difficult. All too often it is people from disadvantaged backgrounds who suffer the greatest health impacts from poor urban environments and this can therefore exacerbate health inequalities. With 85% of New Zealanders now living in urban environments the issue is of major importance to the future prosperity of New Zealand.

The Public Health Advisory Committee (PHAC) has therefore commenced work on a new project which is exploring the relationship between the urban environment and health in a New Zealand context. The project is using a broad definition of the urban environment which includes cities, towns and smaller settlements and will look to identify the factors which contribute to health and well being in these areas. The committee will explore the impact of urban living on people at all stages of life including children and older people and we will also assess how healthy urban planning can support sustainable development and the battle against climate change. It will be seeking to identify examples of good practice from international case studies which are most relevant to New Zealand but most especially from work in New Zealand which has improved health through effective urban planning and management.

This project will build upon PHAC’s earlier work on Health Impact Assessment and on the environmental determinants of health, as well as links with the “Health is Everyone’s Business” report in the emphasis on cross-sectoral solutions, and on the identification of opportunities for the increased involvement of the health sector in urban issues.



Page last updated: 11 February 2010