Hugh Barton

A Health Map for the Local Human Habitat

At the 2006 UK Public Health Association Conference, held in Telford in March, and the International HIA conference in Cardiff in the same month, there was much interest in a new model of health determinants applied to the planning of human settlements. This ‘health map’ is presented here in its current form for the first time. The authors explain its purpose.

Shaping Neighbourhoods: For Local health and Global Sustainability

Joint principal author with Barton and editor. Two year comprehensive update to previous edition. Sponsored by WHO. Foreword by Mike Kelly from the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence. Launched at a major southwest regional conference. Presentations at WHO international conference, and two regional health conferences.

Urban Planning for Healthy Cities

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the progress made by European cities in relation to Healthy Urban Planning (HUP) during Phase IV of the World Health Organizations Healthy Cities programme (2003–2008). The introduction sets out the general principle of HUP, identifying three levels or phases of health and planning integration. This leads on to a more specific analysis of the processes and substance of HUP, which provide criteria for assessment of progress. The assessment itself relies on two sources of data provided by the municipalities: the Annual Review Templates (ARTs) 2008 and the response to the Phase IV General Evaluation Questionnaire. The findings indicate that the evidence from different sources and questions in different sections are encouragingly consistent. The number of cities achieving a good level of understanding and activity in HUP has risen very substantially over the period. In particular, those achieving effective strategic integration of health and planning have increased. A key challenge for the future will be to develop planning frameworks which advance public health concerns in a spatial policy context driven often by market forces. A health in all policies approach could be valuable.

Potential for carfree development in the UK

Rising car ownership and use has been associated with: pollution, resource depletion, waste of land, social exclusion and health problems. Carfree development is a relatively recent response to these problems in urban areas. There are several examples in continental Europe, but examples in the UK have been few and small in scale. This study aims to explore the feasibility of carfree development in the UK, focussing on the following research questions: 1. What types of existing developments can be defined as ‘carfree’? 2. Amongst which groups (if any) is potential demand for housing in carfree developments likely to be found? 3. What are the distinguishing characteristics of these groups? 4. What circumstances would promote or discourage potential demand? The first question was addressed through a review of the literature and five study visits to European carfree developments. Three types of carfree development were identified and three defining characteristics: traffic-free environments, design for non-car travel and limited separated parking. To address the remaining questions, from the literature, two target groups were hypothesised to be most likely to move to a carfree development: Carfree Choosers, who live without a car by choice, and Carfree Possibles, car owners willing to give up car ownership under certain circumstances. This hypothesis was tested through: an online survey of members of environmental and cycling organisations, a random postal survey in Camden, London, and a household survey of Poole Quarter, a ‘low car’ development in Dorset. A subsample of 35 respondents were interviewed by telephone later. The questionnaire analysis broadly supported the hypothesis for both target groups. The interviews cast doubt on some of the declarations of the Carfree Possibles but supported those of the Carfree Choosers who were judged most likely to provide the early adopters of carfree housing. The Carfree Choosers were the ‘most urban’ group in locations, behaviour and preferences. The findings confirm that potential demand exists for carfree developments, mainly concentrated in the inner areas of larger cities, where the most suitable sites can also be found. The thesis concludes with recommendations for Government policy to encourage carfree developments.

Eco‐neighbourhoods: A review of projects

The recent literature on sustainable urban form has stressed the need to move away from a system of land‐use segregation and towards one which intersperses land uses and facilitates localisation. T...

The Routledge handbook of planning for health and well-being : shaping a sustainable and healthy future

Urban planning is deeply implicated in both the planetary crisis of climate change and the personal crises of unhealthy lifestyles. Worldwide health issues such as obesity, mental illness, growing health inequalities and climate vulnerability cannot be solved solely by medicines but also by tackling the social, economic and environmental determinants. In a time when unhealthy and unsustainable conditions are being built into the physical fabric of cities, a new awareness and strategy is urgently needed to putting health and well-being at the heart of planning. The Routledge Handbook of Planning for Health and Well-being authoritatively and comprehensively integrates health into planning, strengthening the hands of those who argue and plan for healthy environments. With contributions from international leaders in the field, the Handbook of Planning for Health and Well-being provides context, philosophy, research, processes, and tools of experienced practitioners through case studies from four continents.

Neighbourhood Accessibility and Active Travel

Abstract Neighbourhoods are advocated in UK planning policy in order to foster social capital, combat obesity and reduce transport greenhouse emissions. The new agenda of localism reinforces this move. Yet travel behaviour trends, and the continuing decline of local facilities, are working in the opposite direction. A review of earlier research points to gaps in our empirical knowledge and uncertainties about the degree to which spatial policy can influence behaviour and ‘create’ viable neighbourhoods. This paper examines the pattern of access to local facilities, and the factors which influence it, reporting on the results of a household survey in 12 suburban and exurban localities in four English cities. The focus is particularly on modal choice, comparing the behaviour of different social groups in different situations. The findings point to the danger of assuming all communities and places are alike. The degree of local use of facilities, and the level of active travel to get to them, varies widely by type of facility, social group, location and character of place. Attitudes stated by respondents are a poor predictor of behaviour, but cultural attitudes of whole communities are important. Implications for planning policy are drawn out.

No weighting for healthy sustainable local planning: evaluation of a participatory appraisal tool for rationality and inclusivity

This paper is concerned with the contribution that project, plan and policy appraisal can make to effective decision making when shaping a built environment that needs to respond to the demands of local voices and also concerns for global sustainability and for population well-being. It argues that effectiveness depends on appraisal processes being rational, based on sound science, and also inclusive, involving stakeholders and implementers. A particular problem in all respects is the widespread reliance of decision makers on methods that use weighting. Although these give the appearance of validity, authority and objectivity, the paper argues that such methods are not compatible with the key tenets of appraisal and decision making that can address the challenges of localism, sustainability, health and inclusion. The paper advocates and evaluates a new technique, SPECTRUM, trialled in practice, which has been developed to meet these challenges. Specific attention is paid to its role in the development of the award winning ICON housing scheme in the Houndwood development at Street in Somerset, England.

The effectiveness of health appraisal processes currently in addressing health and wellbeing during spatial plan appraisal: a systematic review

BackgroundSpatial planning affects the built environment, which in turn has the potential to have a significant impact on health, for good or ill. One way of ensuring that spatial plans take due account of health is through the inclusion of health considerations in the statutory and non statutory appraisal processes linked to plan-making processes.MethodsA systematic review to identify evaluation studies of appraisals or assessments of plans where health issues were considered from 1987 to 2010.ResultsA total of 6161 citations were identified: 6069 from electronic databases, 57 fromwebsite searches, with a further 35 citations from grey literature, of which 20 met the inclusion criteria. These 20 citations reported on a total of 135 different case studies: 11 UK HIA; 11 non UK high income countries HIA, 5 UK SEA or other integrated appraisal; 108 non UK high income SEA or other integrated appraisal. All studies were in English. No relevant studies were identified reporting on low or middle income countries.The studies were limited by potential bias (no independent evaluation, with those undertaking the appraisal also responsible for reporting outcomes), lack of detail and a lack of triangulation of results. Health impact assessments generally covered the four specified health domains (physical activity, mental health and wellbeing, environmental health issues such as pollution and noise, injury) more comprehensively than SEA or other integrated appraisals, although mental health and wellbeing was an underdeveloped area. There was no evidence available on the incorporation of health in Sustainability Appraisal, limited evidence that the recommendations from any type of appraisal were implemented, and almost no evidence that the recommendations had led to the anticipated outcomes or improvements in health postulated.ConclusionResearch is needed to assess (i) the degree to which statutory plan appraisal processes (SA in the UK) incorporate health; (ii) whether recommendations arising from health appraisal translate into the development process and (iii) whether outcomes are as anticipated.

Shafts of light from the past

ABSTRACT In the first edition of Cities & Health Roderick Lawrence, Anthony Capon and Jose Siri used Hippocrates’ principles as a starting point for a discussion about contemporary health challenges and ecological public health policy. Here I want to explore more deeply some of the theories and practices of healthy town planning in ancient Greece and Rome. They are both surprising and inspiring. There are some salutary lessons to learn.