Healthy Urbanism

The globally distributed health impacts of environmental degradation and widening inequalities require a fundamental shift in understandings of healthy urbanism. This book redefines the meaning and form of healthy urban environments, urging planners and design professionals to consider how their work impacts population health and wellbeing at multiple spatial and temporal scales. The concepts of equity, inclusion and sustainability are central to this framing, reversing the traditional focus on individuals, their genes and ‘lifestyle choices’ to one of structural factors that affect health. Integrating theory and concepts from social epidemiology, sustainable development and systems thinking with practical case studies, this book will be of value for students and practitioners.

“Through the lenses of equity, inclusion and sustainability, Pineo’s 'healthy urbanism,’ productively builds on existing theory and practice to consider and describe the processes, principles and goals that can support health through urban planning and development.”

—Professor Julian Agyeman, Tufts University, USA

“This treasure-trove book sightsees health and well-being on a journey. Beyond traditional boundaries of urbanism, it voyages by streets, cities, and planetary ecosystems, enhancing synergies between urban disciplines, evolving new approaches to preserve well-being, amplifying opportunities for a healthy and equitable life on a sustainable planet. Masterfully organized, combining social and built environments in a policy-based and historical context, the book anchors in carefully selected case studies, capturing lessons for a new generation of scholars illuminating the potential paths travelled in the pursuit of answers in this invigorating interdisciplinary science.”

—Professor Waleska Teixeira Caiaffa, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil

“This book is an indispensable read for all those concerned about how urban development can support a growing world population, providing equitable opportunities for healthy living within planetary boundaries.”

—Professor Sir Andrew Haines, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK

“Pineo’s examination of healthy urbanism offers a deep dive and systems thinking framework to understanding the social and physical determinants of health. Virus transmission, extreme weather, social isolation and challenges to long standing inequities in how our communities are built and resources are distributed are challenging siloed, single issue approaches to sustainability, well-being and healthy community design.  The site-specific examples and case studies brings the research to life and makes this text very readable for people in and outside of public health and urban design disciplines.”

—Sharon Z. Roerty, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, USA

Helen Pineo is Associate Professor in Healthy and Sustainable Cities in the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment at University College London, UK.