Integrating health outcome considerations into urban design and planning

Overview

Action 2.9: Develop a set of built and natural environment indicators to inform bicycle riding infrastructure priorities and investments.

Lead agency: Queensland Health

Status: Complete

Achievements

We partnered with the Office of the Queensland Government Architect on a whole-of-government initiative to integrate health outcome considerations in urban design and planning. 

This cross-agency collaboration resulted in the Healthy Places, Healthy People framework. The framework is underpinned by three key principles, Connected, Welcoming and Responsible, and nine associated built and natural environment attributes proven to support healthy and active living. It provides a robust mechanism to ensure considerations that improve conditions for bicycle riding are included in built and natural environment policy, planning and infrastructure investment decisions.

The Healthy Places, Healthy People report included an analysis of four built environment indicators and was disseminated in June 2021.

In collaboration with the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), we identified two relevant built and natural environment indicators aligned with the framework's 'Connected' attributes. We analysed the relationship between these indicators to support bicycle riding and Preventive Health Survey active living outcomes. 

Our findings demonstrated people who live in residential areas with infrastructure that supports active travel and greater access to essential services have increased levels of active living, including bicycle riding. Our discussions with TMR identified shared interests to increase shaded environments to support bicycle riding.

Next steps

We will work with Queensland Government agencies and local government authorities to make sure the Healthy Places, Healthy People framework principles and attributes are consistently integrated into built and natural environment infrastructure planning and investment decisions.