Importance of Public Health in Urban Planning

How Public Spaces Can Be Prescribed Medicine for Urban Loneliness The Bentway in Toronto just released groundbreaking research that should reshape how we think about public space as public health infrastructure. Their "Rx for Social Connection" report, developed with Gehl Studio and University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health, offers compelling evidence that thoughtful design can combat the loneliness epidemic plaguing our cities. The context is sobering: Toronto was named Canada's loneliest city in 2024, with 43% of residents never seeing their neighbors and 37% feeling lonely at least three times weekly. The World Health Organization has declared loneliness a global health threat equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes daily. Key Research Findings: 71% of Bentway visitors reported improved physical health 62% experienced better mental health 64% felt more socially connected 67% of visitors engaged with others during their visit Interactive art installations generated 20% more social interactions What Makes It Work: The research identified four critical design elements: "sticky" spaces that encourage lingering, quality seating that promotes sociability, interactive public art at human scale, and participatory programming that transforms spectators into participants. The space's emphasis on soft materials, natural landscapes, and adequate lighting creates an environment where 97% of visitors feel safe—compared to 85% in other Toronto public spaces. The Bigger Picture: As cities densify and solo living increases, we must recognize parks, squares, and public spaces as vital health infrastructure. The Bentway demonstrates how transforming underutilized urban infrastructure (in this case, space under an expressway) can address both physical and social health challenges simultaneously. For architects, urban planners, and public health professionals, this research provides a blueprint for designing spaces that don't just serve functional needs but actively combat isolation and foster community resilience. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/gfA-DguQ How are you incorporating social connection into your design work? Let's discuss the intersection of public health and public space. #PublicHealth #UrbanDesign #SocialConnection #LonelinessAwareness #DesignForWellbeing

“Technology isn’t the only solution; human power is the greatest force.” As a public health professional within the design industry, I found myself bridging siloes of these professions at my first day at #COP28. A few takeaways: 1.      Creating urban environments for #childhealth requires a focus on prevention that addresses the double burden of infectious and chronic diseases in low- and middle-income countries. Community and youth voices can be prioritized if we are proactive in forming an alliance between designers and public health professionals. Design Firms: Hire or consult with public health researchers and practitioners, early and often to increase human resilience and adaptation. Public Health’rs: Reach out to design and urban planning organizations. All public projects require a hired design professional. Don’t be intimidated by their perfect font selection and renderings. 2.    Individuals with chronic conditions or living with a #disability experience climate threats daily. Designing a safe, sustainable planet must encompass the full “door-to-door” experience, not single discrete elements (Nadia Hadad). Design Firms: Integrate disability from the start. Educate your teams and be intentional about increasing representation of individuals with disabilities in the process so we can deconstruct ableism. Carly Krakow said it best “We cannot say 'net zero' first, then let’s deal with people with disabilities, this is a false and dangerous narrative.” Public Health’rs: Continue and expand research on the disproportionate climate impacts affecting people with disabilities, chronic conditions and older adults. Emina Cerimovic shared that 95% of 2021 Canadian heat wave deaths were people with chronic conditions or disabilities. Quantified impacts across all climate threats are still lacking. 3.    Nature-based solutions have greater health co-benefits than hard infrastructure that remains static. Research continues to illuminate the economic and carbon benefits of natural environment restoration. Check out Siddharth Narayan's research to learn more.   Design Firms: Embrace natural solutions that meet the local needs of the community. If Bangkok is sinking faster than sea level rise due to combined precipitation variability and flooding, then a seawall will not support a vibrant community. Kotchakorn Voraakhom   Public Health’rs: Continue to quantify the health benefits of nature in both urban and rural areas. Just because there are trees in rural environments, doesn’t mean the full benefits of thoughtful landscape architecture are realized. Shout out to Torey Carter-Conneen, CAE for being on the quest to expand this (public health) profession. A huge thank you to The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the incredible "Week 2" delegates who have quickly become my friends, Emily Grandstaff-Rice FAIA, Derek Washam, Lisa M. Ferretto, and Li Ren. #climatejustice #publichealth #architecture #design

I’m excited to see national attention shifting toward improving our health through the newly announced MAHA commission. This effort has the potential to be transformative… but only if we’re honest about what’s truly driving the chronic disease crisis in America. Right now, much of the conversation is focused on low-ROI efforts, like regulating food additives and tweaking nutritional guidelines. Yes, those things matter. But the biggest threats to our health and well-being are systemic, and we can’t fix them with band-aid solutions. If we want to make America healthy again, we need to confront the real barriers head-on: 1️⃣ Food Access, Availability, and Affordability Telling people to “eat healthy” is easy. Giving them the means to do it is much harder. Millions of Americans live in communities where nutritious, affordable food simply isn’t available. Others are forced to choose between feeding their families or paying the rent. The result? Ultra-processed, calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods dominate our diets—not because people are lazy or lack willpower, but because that’s what’s accessible. We cannot expect better health outcomes without addressing the root cause: food deserts, supply chain disparities, and economic inequities. 2️⃣ Poor Urban Planning Look around most American cities, and you’ll find a landscape built for cars—not for people. We’ve engineered physical activity out of our daily lives with suburban sprawl, inadequate public transportation, and neighborhoods that aren’t walkable. The consequences are profound: sedentary lifestyles, rising obesity rates, and the missed opportunity to use urban design to promote movement, reduce chronic disease, and even lower carbon emissions. Imagine if our cities were built to encourage walking, biking, and public transit. We’d get healthier communities and a healthier planet—at the same time. 3️⃣ Systemic Failures in Public Education Our schools are ground zero for shaping lifelong health habits, yet we’ve severely underfunded physical education, mental health support, and school meal programs. Many schools treat PE and mental health education as optional. Nutrition education? Virtually nonexistent. Meanwhile, millions of kids rely on school meals for most of their daily calories, yet many of these meals fall far short of basic nutritional standards. If we’re serious about creating a healthier future, we have to rethink the role of schools in promoting health—not just academically, but physically and mentally. This commission is a great opportunity to reshape our nation’s health. But if we focus only on surface-level fixes, we’ll miss the chance to create real change. Let’s make America healthy again, but let’s do it right: by aiming for bold, systemic change that addresses root causes, not symptoms. What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts. #PublicHealth #SystemsThinking #UrbanPlanning #FoodSecurity #EducationReform #SustainableChange