Healthy places, healthy people

The way your community is designed affects your health.  Everything that has been built, created or modified by people – streets, sidewalks, buildings, parks and houses, for example – are considered part of the built environment. And the built environment has an impact on your level of physical activity, the quality of the air you breathe, the cleanliness of the water you drink, your safety and your overall sense of wellbeing.

Consider your neighbourhood. Does it have a park close by, which can improve your level of physical activity and sense of wellbeing. Do you have sidewalks or bike lanes that make it safe to walk or cycle, which in turn can increase physical activity levels and reduce obesity rates? Are there grocery stores in your area that make it easy to access nutritious affordable food?

Residential areas located far away from shops, services and schools mean that people have to drive to do their daily business. More driving means more vehicles on the road, which results in increased emissions that contribute to air pollution. And the more time spent driving means less time to be involved in family, recreation or community activities.

Community design can also affect your overall feelings of wellbeing and how socially connected you are to your neighbourhood. Neighbourhoods that include playgrounds, that have places for people to meet and that are clean and safe, generally make people feel good about living there. Knowing your neighbours and being involved in community activities can increase your sense of wellbeing and happiness.

Get to know your neighbourhood and speak out for healthy changes. To learn more about the connections between health, the built environment and community design, and how you can make change happen, check the links below:

“The Impact of the Built Environment on the Health of the Population: A Review of the Review Literature” – a report by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit that includes a summary of research and a list of recommendations to improve health through changes to the built environment.

Fact sheets – Information for municipalities about air quality and active transportation with suggested actions for improving health through decisions related to land use planning and community design:

A case for better air

A case for active transportation

Fact sheets – Information about air quality, active transportation and healthy communities with suggested provincial actions for improving health through decisions related to land use planning and community design decisions:

A case for healthy communities

A case for better air

A case for active transportation