How to Identify Human and Environmental Health Opportunities within Urban Communities? - Abstract
Broadly defined, the urban built environment is part of the physical setting constructed by human activity [1]. The built environment within any community includes elements impacting human and environmental health. Such factors include healthy food availability, land use, distribution of activities, roads, sidewalks, and bike lanes [1]. Modifications to the built environment have a significant impact on human health. For example, the transformation of vacant green spaces and addition of bike lanes is associated with increased physical activity, decreased overweight populations, lower reports of depression, less reported alcohol abuse, and lower crime rates [2]. The same modifications to the built environment have been demonstrated to benefit environmental health by doing such things as reducing carbon emissions, absorbing pollutants, releasing oxygen, and providing clean air, water and soil [3]. A healthy built environment promoting human health works in tandem to improve environmental health.