Planning for healthy places and spaces

This page is intended for Public Health professionals. Others will probably find Planning more useful.

Good planning can be positive for health and wellbeing. By considering key principles related to wider determinants of health places and spaces can be designed in a way that promotes healthy, active and sustainable communities.

Public Health England has looked at the impact of health in the following:

  • Neighbourhood design - such as walkability, connectivity
  • Natural and sustainable environments - such as air quality, access to the natural environment
  • Housing - such as quality, affordability, lifetime accommodation
  • Healthier food - such as access to healthy food, allotments and community gardens
  • Transport - such as walking and cycling routes, public transport, road safety

When we consider planning for health and wellbeing we consider two aspects:

  • How we can influence the design of the development; and
  • What health infrastructure is needed to support the development

Warwickshire County Council (WCC), Public Health work with the district and borough councils, clinical commissioning groups and the wider health economy to plan holistically for health:

Our guidance documents

Health Impact Assessments

Public Health commissioned Health Impact Assessments to support the development of the five district and borough local plans to identify the impacts (both positive and negative) that the plans may have on health and wellbeing.

  • North Warwickshire Borough
  • Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough
  • Rugby Borough
  • Warwick District
  • Stratford-on-Avon District

National guidance