Urban design, land use, and transportation policy can all affect the overall physical and mental health of communities. Planners impact public health through decisions that affect air quality, housing density, transportation options, land use, access to parks and green space, and more. Understanding public health can help planners make more equitable decisions that improve the lives of families and the sustainability of urban communities.
All Public Health Courses
Getting There
Getting There was produced by planners in New Hampshire to inform other planners of the concepts and benefits of universal design. The big idea illustrated by the film is that a built environment designed with the needs of the visually impaired in mind would be universally accessible for every single member of the community.
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
What makes good public spaces work, and why are some public spaces underused? Over the course of this film, William Whyte details insights into seven basic factors of successful public spaces: suitable space, interaction with the street, the sun, food, water, trees, and, finally, a term Whyte calls triangulation, or the ability of a public space to bring people together.