A look at how urban environments impact health
In an ideal world, we’d always do what’s right for people. Our neighbourhoods and suburbs would look quite different. There’d be more shade. More places to walk or ride a bike. Hour-long commutes would be a thing of the past.
What has any of this got to do with our health?
More than you think. The places we live can influence how we grow up, what diseases we may or may not get, and how we age. This is particularly important for people living in urban environments.
Professor Evelyne de Leeuw, Director of the Healthy Urban Environments Collaboratory Clinical Academic Group (CAG) at Maridulu Buduyari Gumal, is passionate about this work. She believes in creating urban environments that enhance the health of the people who live in them.
While the Healthy Urban Environments CollaboratoryCAG covers South East and South West Sydney Local Health Districts, they have a strong global focus, too. Right now, however, Evelyne and her team have a special interest in the urban health of Greater Sydney.
Greater Sydney as a natural experiment
Urban development is happening fast in Greater Sydney. Rapid urban sprawl, a new airport and big changes to the roads, demographics, and costs of housing are all impacting the health of the population.
Evelyne says that the thing about the changes to Greater Sydney is that people feel it. “You can see it happening all around you. There are things going on, whether it’s longer commute times, urban heat islands, excess services or the quality of the air.”
As a Sydneysider herself, Evelyne considers the area “a bit of a living laboratory”. She sees the area as an opportunity to look at the different dimensions of that laboratory and use it as an ongoing experiment.
The impact of health precincts in the area
There has been a wave of developers looking to invest billions of dollars into health precincts across Sydney. This includes the Liverpool health precinct, new hospitals in Campbelltown, Western Sydney University and the UNSW. It also covers a multitude of health care facilities and medical research institutes in the Kensington Precinct.
“Our question, and we’re very excited about it” says Evelyne, “is if you spend so much money on new healthcare does that actually produce better health?”
She already knows the answer. According to ongoing data collections from the OECD, more doctors, health staff and hospitals do not necessarily create better health.
Evelyne sees working with health precincts as an opportunity to get the best possible outcomes from these investments. To invest allocated funds in infrastructure, spatial design and structural plans that enhance health, rather than investing in more health professionals.
Creating a healthy Sydney
There are myriad of challenges to creating urban environments that enhance the health of the population. These include urban design and planning, working with councils and affected communities, government policy, and infrastructure legislation.
The Healthy Urban Environments Collaboratory CAG is working to address them all.
Fortunately, the CAG has a group of passionate people who have worked with an exciting range of stakeholders. This includes everyone from committed individuals to large, industrial corporations.
The real question they have is, what determines health? Not what determines disease, but how do we create healthy people? Asking these questions helps the Healthy Urban Environments Collaboratory CAG determine how to create environments where people can enjoy full health at every age and stage of their lives.
Catering to an ageing population
Thanks to advances in healthcare, people are living longer than ever before. The ageing population is a concern for many economists, health professionals and urban planners.
Most older people would prefer to stay healthy in their homes, rather than moving to a nursing or residential home. There is strong preference for this amongst the healthcare community, and a belief that it’s better for overall health and wellbeing.
Part of Evelyne and her team’s work is to make this possible. It’s about creating spaces that cater to older generations. This means making sure sidewalks are easy to navigate, public transport is accessible, and it’s easy to get in and out of cars. All these are important determinants of ageing well.
And the young
At the other end of the continuum, it’s just as important to think about how the urban environment impacts children’s development.
There is a growing awareness of the importance of tackling childhood obesity. There’s a lot more to it than just diet. It’s also up to urban designers and planners to create the right spaces for kids to thrive. To move in healthy ways. To play out on the street or grow their own food.
When you look at urban health through this lens, you begin to see that things like diabetes, obesity and an ageing population are not just the responsibility of the health system. They’re typically a broader urban health challenge.
Knowing this, the Healthy Urban Environments CollaboratoryCAG seeks to: “develop natural and social environments that create the best opportunities for people to make healthy choices,” says Evelyne.
Health beyond patient care
Setting up the Healthy Urban Environments CollaboratoryCAG allows Maridulu Budyari Gumal to look at health beyond patient care. It involves larger matters and the ability to create cutting-edge urban planning and health.
It’s not just about what happens within hospitals and care settings. It’s about looking at health from a much broader perspective, and delivering real benefits to our communities.
