Creating a Healthy Environment: The Impact of the Built Environment on Public Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)


"In this monograph, [the authors] focus mainly on the following:

  • The relation of land-use decisions to air quality and respiratory health;
  • The built environment (including all manmade physical components of human settlements such as buildings, streets, open spaces, and infrastructure) in terms of whether it promotes or discourages physical activity;
  • The impact of urban design on the number of pedestrian injuries and deaths, particularly among children;
  • The choices communities make about the built environment that improve mobility and the quality of life for their elderly and disabled residents; and
  • The ways that various land-use decisions
    affect community water quality, sanitation,
    and the incidence of disease outbreaks."

Filed in: Community Problems and Solutions, Health, Promoting Walking and Bicycling, Plans and Policies, Why Walk or Bike

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