As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight the importance of safe distancing in cities, a new sourcebook launched by WHO and UN-Habitat provides a wealth of useful information on ensuring human health is a key consideration for city planning.
The sourcebook, Integrating Health in Urban and Territorial Planning, is designed to guide decision-makers from the public health, urban, and territorial planning sectors including planners, city managers, health professionals, and others towards developing cities planned and built with a focus on human and environmental health.
Many cities face health threats linked to urban and territorial planning. Infectious diseases thrive in overcrowded cities, or where there is inadequate access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene facilities; living in unhealthy environments killed 12.6 million people in 2012 and air pollution killed 7 million people in 2016. However, only 1 in 10 cities worldwide meet standards for healthy air.
“Investments in health-based urban and territorial planning secure long-term health and wellbeing legacies for a growing proportion of humans,” said Dr. Nathalie Roebbel, WHO Unit Head, Air Quality and Health.
Over half the world’s population now lives in cities, and by 2050 that is expected to rise to a full 70 percent of the human population. However, 75 percent of the infrastructure that will be in place by then has not yet been built.
This presents an opportunity to build transformative urban areas, especially as the world begins to build back with a greater consciousness of the links between space and health.
One essential consideration is equity as there are substantial differences in health opportunities and outcomes within and across urban areas. The sourcebook is based on the premise that public health and urban planning both aim for fair and equitable outcomes and access to essential services.
The sourcebook explains why health needs to be a part of urban and territorial planning and how to make it happen.
Read the full sourcebook: Integrating health in urban and territorial planning.
Original source: WHO
Published on 21 May 2020
