healthy and sustainable places

Bath and North East Somerset – The place to live, work and visit

Healthy and Sustainable Places

Health and wellbeing stakeholder engagement event July 2013

Bruce Laurence

Director of Public Health

Bath and North East Somerset


QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

We know it when we see it…


And when we don’t.


History» 2500 BCE Indus Valley civilization.

» Evidence of advanced urban planning including flush toilets, covered sewers, careful spatial plans, ?public baths, egalitarian housing.

» 1860’s» Massive public health investment in Victorian

England. 1867 Reform Act, improved capital markets, common interests of capital and labour, Chadwick and Dickens: the power of persuasion.

» 1980s» Healthy cities. Bring “Ottawa” on to the streets. A

new linkage of planning and health.


12 objectives for health and urban (and rural) planning

Healthy Lifestyles

(Exercise and health, diabetes, cardio vascular disease, stress)

Environments that encourage walking and cycling. Traffic restriction (cul de sac). Accessible recreation. Networks of open spaces.

Low density housing and distant facilities demanding long distance travel.

Social cohesion

(Mental and physical health).

Create safe, permeable environments with places to meet. Mixed use development in town centres.

Poor housing developments, dispersal of communities, severing effect of roads and other barriers, large commercial schemes

Housing quality

(Accidents, respiratory and cv health, mental health, injuries).

Good design -for life-. Use of energy saving materials. Mixed affordability, close to amenities.

Overcrowding, poor insulation, toxic materials and unsafe structures risk physical + mental health.

Poor location and design can promote crime and vandalism.


Access to work

(Wealth, employment and health)

Linking planning to regeneration will provide opportunities, retain local skill, and attract employers. Needs to be linked to transport.

Employment inaccessible, or lacking in variety creates un- or underemployment which is bad for health and leads to loss of skills from community

Accessibility for all

(Inequalities and protection of vulnerable groups)

Choice of transport to facilities of all sorts.

Encourage dispersal of main facilities based on walking and cycling distances to shops, clinics, schools. Protect what serves vulnerable communities

Local amenities can be cut in austerity, and the vulnerable suffer. Out of town developments can drain life from neighbourhoods

Local food production and supply

(Diet and nutritional awareness, exercise)

Green space for allotments. City farms. Encourage diverse retail outlets.

Lack of urban green space. Centralisation of retail.


Safety and its perception.

(Exercise, sociability)

Traffic calming, design for natural surveillance, good lighting.

Threatening and alienating environment. Poor lighting, hidden spaces, heavy traffic.

Equity and social capital.

(Social mobility and community spirit)

Social and affordable housing near to common facilities.. health, schools, etc. Mixed developments

Gating and “ghettos”.

Air quality and noise

(Respiratory and mental health)

Transport planning to minimise car use and lorry traffic in centres. Separation of heavy industry from residential.

Poor transport planning. Lack of control over factories, lack of sound insulation. Poor control over nuisance. Bath!! >90% NO2 traffic based.


Water, sanitation and flooding

(infections).

Water efficiency, collection of rainwater, use of grey water.

Building on flood plains

Concreting and over draining natural carrying capacity

Pesticide runoff Fracking.

Land and mineral resources

(many health effects)

Maintaining green space, use of brownfield, use of recyclable materials

Degradation, loss of greenfield and green belt. Deforestation, open cast mining, toxic waste.

Climate stability

(many direct and indirect health effects)

Energy efficient building construction and use. Limiting need for car transport.

Poor control.


And in Bath…

» Sense of community depends on the preservation of heritage and uniqueness

» Future of community demands forward-looking use of modern solutions

» Issues around transport, air pollution, affordable housing.


Most important areas of cooperation

» Land use and transport planning, linking the location of housing, employment and facilities with a strategy for transport

» Strategies for social services, embracing the forward planning for social housing, health, education, open spaces

» Economic regeneration strategies, so that economic development and urban regeneration programmes are mechanisms for implementing a healthy planning strategy. Riverside

» Integrated transport strategy, incorporating road policies, car parking, public transport planning and operations, cycling and walking. (bike-rail, park and ride, multiuse roads)

» Integrated resource planning for energy, water, food, waste etc


Process is as important as objectives

» Negotiate clear goals and purpose of the plan – agencies should consult widely with partners, public and politicians. Putting the health of the public as a central objective.

» Establish the baseline by creating a city health profile which incorporates baseline social, health, economic and environmental conditions. This will provide an opportunity to recognize problems and obtain agreement on important issues. JSNA

» Scope and explore options – scoping and policy development is an ongoing process. Alternative options. Health impact assessment of options.

» Evaluate and refine policies – openly, explicitly and transparently to maintain support. Balance the quantitative and qualitative, and group interests.

» Coordinate implementation – using whatever powers are available.

healthy and sustainable places

Health & Medicine

north east somerset

physical health

cv health

poor transport planning

social housing

sustainable places health

bath sense of community

poor housing developments