Urban planning and development for health : key principles to guide action and change

Urban environments have emerged as the dominant habitat for humans over the past century, with over 50% of the world’s population now living in urban environments. This figure is predicted to increase to 68% by 2050. Urban environments are now a key driver for the health and wellbeing of the majority of humans on the planet. The impact of urban environments on human health and wellbeing, particularly inequity in health, is increasingly being documented. Evidence shows that while health and health service provision tend to be better in urban than in rural areas, these differences often mask wide disparities between more and less disadvantaged populations within urban areas. Evidence also suggests that urban environments have disproportionate effects on the sustainability of the natural environment on which all life on the planet depends (for example, they emit 70% of global greenhouse gases and produce 70% of global waste) and are susceptible to the rapid succession of shocks like bushfires, storms, floods, heatwaves and global pandemics.