Building Healthier Communities for All

Transforming our built environments to promote health, equity, and well-being through research, education, and community partnerships.

Discover Our Work

About the Initiative

Our Mission

The Built Environment and Health Initiative connects the fields of urban planning, architecture, and public health to create healthier communities. We believe that where people live, work, and play profoundly influences their physical, mental, and social well-being.

Our Vision

We envision communities where built environments intentionally promote health, where residents have equitable access to active transportation options, quality housing, green spaces, and supportive infrastructure that fosters well-being across all generations.

Our Approach

Through interdisciplinary collaboration, evidence-based research, and meaningful community engagement, we develop practical strategies that transform planning and design practices. We work alongside communities to create solutions that are both health-promoting and culturally appropriate.

Impact of Built Environment on Health

Active Living Infrastructure

Walkable neighborhoods with sidewalks, bike lanes, parks, and recreation facilities encourage daily physical activity, reducing risks of obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Studies show that people living in walkable communities are 2-4 times more likely to meet recommended physical activity levels than those in car-dependent areas.

Air Quality and Respiratory Health

Building design, transportation systems, and land use decisions directly affect air quality. Poor ventilation in homes and buildings, proximity to high-traffic roadways, and lack of green spaces contribute to increased exposure to harmful pollutants. Thoughtful urban planning that emphasizes emission reduction, vegetation, and proper building ventilation can significantly improve respiratory health and reduce asthma rates.

Green Spaces and Mental Well-being

Access to parks, gardens, and natural areas within urban environments is associated with reduced stress, improved mood, better cognitive function, and greater social cohesion. Green spaces provide restorative experiences that counteract the psychological demands of urban living. Communities with more trees and parks report lower rates of depression and anxiety among residents.

Climate-Resilient Design

As climate change intensifies, how we design our built environment becomes increasingly critical for health. Urban heat islands, flooding, and extreme weather events disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. Climate-responsive architecture, urban canopy, permeable surfaces, and resilient infrastructure protect community health while reducing environmental impact.

Our Key Initiatives

Complete Streets Implementation

Partnering with municipalities to transform streets into safe, accessible spaces for all userspedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation riders, and motoristscreating transportation networks that encourage active living while reducing traffic injuries and air pollution.

Healthy Housing Standards

Developing and advocating for housing standards that address indoor air quality, thermal comfort, lighting, safety, accessibility, and noise reduction to promote health and prevent housing-related illnesses, particularly in low-income communities.

Equitable Access to Nature

Working to ensure all communities, regardless of income or race, have access to quality green spaces. This includes creating new parks in underserved areas, improving existing green spaces, and removing barriers to access through community-driven design processes.

Active Design Guidelines

Creating design guidelines that encourage physical activity through building features such as inviting stairs, central staircases, walking paths, and indoor-outdoor connections that make the healthy choice the easy choice for building occupants and visitors.

Food Environment Improvement

Supporting the development of equitable food systems through urban agriculture incentives, zoning for healthy food retailers in underserved areas, and policies that increase access to affordable, nutritious food while reducing the prevalence of unhealthy food environments.

Health in All Policies

Providing training, tools, and technical assistance to integrate health considerations into planning, policy, and development decisions through systematic Health Impact Assessments and the implementation of Health in All Policies approaches.

Research and Impact

40%

reduction in chronic diseases in neighborhoods with walkable infrastructure

$1.2T

annual potential health savings from built environment improvements

15%

mental health improvement from increased green space access

Neighborhood Walkability Study

Our five-year longitudinal study examining how changes in neighborhood walkability affect physical activity levels and health outcomes has provided compelling evidence for investment in pedestrian infrastructure. Results show significant increases in transportation and recreational physical activity following improvements sidewalks, crosswalks, and street connectivity.

Housing Quality and Asthma

Research on the relationship between housing interventions and childhood asthma has demonstrated that targeted improvements to indoor environmentsmoisture control, pest management, improved ventilationcan reduce asthma symptoms by 30-50% and decrease emergency department visits and hospitalizations among vulnerable children.

Green Space Equity Assessment

Our national analysis of park distribution has highlighted significant disparities in access to quality green spaces, with low-income communities having significantly less park space per capita. This research informs policy discussions around equitable planning and investment strategies for underserved communities.

Resources and Tools

Assessment Toolkits

Community-based assessment tools that help residents and practitioners evaluate the health-promoting aspects of their built environment, identify opportunities for improvement, and prioritize local action.

Design Guidelines

Evidence-based design guidelines for planners, architects, and developers seeking to create health-promoting environments in residential, commercial, and institutional settings.

Case Study Repository

An extensive collection of built environment and health case studies from around the world, showcasing exemplary projects that have demonstrated measurable health benefits.

Policy Briefs

Research-informed policy briefs addressing key built environment and health topics, designed to support evidence-based decision-making by policymakers and community leaders.

Training Modules

Online and in-person training modules covering topics such as Health Impact Assessment, active design principles, and community engagement approaches for health-promoting built environment projects.

Data Visualization Tools

Interactive tools that allow users to explore the relationships between built environment characteristics and health outcomes at various geographic scales.

Get Involved

For Researchers

Join our interdisciplinary research network. Access datasets, collaborate on studies, co-author publications, and contribute to advancing knowledge on built environment and health connections across diverse contexts.

For Planners & Designers

Access our design guidelines, case studies, and assessment tools that prioritize health in planning and design projects. Attend professional development workshops and earn continuing education credits.

For Community Members

Learn how to advocate for healthier environments in your community. Join our community action program, attend educational events, and connect with others working toward positive change.

For Policy Makers

Access evidence-based policy recommendations, briefing papers, and receive technical assistance to support development and implementation of health-promoting built environment policies.

For Public Health Professionals

Integrate built environment considerations into public health practice. Access training materials, assessment frameworks, and participate in cross-sector collaboration opportunities.

Partnerships

Establish strategic partnerships with our initiative. Collaborate on research, co-develop resources, contribute to policy advocacy, and gain visibility for your organization's contributions to healthier communities.

Join the Movement for Healthier Communities

Creating healthier built environments requires collective action across sectors. Connect with professionals, community members, and decision-makers working at the intersection of built environment and health.

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