November 19, 2001—The Sprawl Watch Clearinghouse has published a study entitled “Creating a Healthy Environment: The Impact of the Built Environment on Public Health.” The study was spearheaded by Dr. Richard Jackson, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) and Chris Kochitzky, an associate director at NCEH with an environmental-planning background. The report examines how public-health criteria could be applied to land-use and design issues to improve the nations health.
The study reveals that the built environment can either promote or discourage physical activities like walking and biking and can improve or diminish mobility and quality of life for elderly and disabled residents. The study maintains that urban design has an effect on the number of pedestrian injuries and deaths. In addition, many different land-use decisions can affect water quality, sanitation, air quality, respiratory health, and the incidence of disease outbreaks.
The report concludes by urging architects, engineers, and urban planners to collaborate with public health professionals to design healthy communities. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) supports the use of public health officials as a resource to obtain the health information they need to support good design.
From AIAs Angle.
