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The Impact of Health-Promoting Built Environments on Public Health

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2024) | Viewed by 1051

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Health Sciences, Furman University, Greenville, SC 29613, USA
Interests: physical activity and the built environment; links between physical activity, academic achievement, and cognition among youths
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Health Sciences, Furman University, Greenville, SC 296153, USA
Interests: relationships between environmental factors and health behaviors, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and overall well-being

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is a large body of published research linking features of the built environment to improved health behaviors and health outcomes [1,2,3]. Such research has increasingly been applied in the design of communities that allow for increased walkability, access to public transportation, and access to green spaces. Increasingly, health-promoting features (access to natural light, communal spaces for gathering, attention to indoor air quality) are also being considered as key elements of a healthy indoor environment. Despite several decades of research on the link between built environments and health, data that will elucidate the pathways between features of a built environment and specific health outcomes are still needed. For example, what are the links between community green spaces, social cohesion, and measures of psychological well-being? Which specific features of a built environment are most impactful on physical activity behaviors? Additional examples of relevant topics are as follows:

Outdoor Built environments

Physical (built) environment

  • Features: walkability, livability, access to alternate forms of transportation;
  • Health Outcomes: cardiovascular health-related.

Natural environments (integration into built environment)

  • Features: planned green spaces (biophilic environs) and health;
  • Health Outcomes: mental health-related outcomes (well-being, QOL).

Social environments (integration into built environment)

  • Features: built environment opportunities for social connection, shared green spaces for neighborhood gatherings, community amenities, design features such as front porches, mixed-use features;
  • Health Outcomes: mental health-related outcomes (well-being, QOL).

Indoor Environments

Physical

  • Features: ventilation/HVAC for infectious disease prevention. allergy/irritant reduction, odor reduction. Cleanliness and attention to upkeep.
  • Health Outcomes: prevention of infectious dx (Legionnaires, COVID-19, etc.), reduction in respiratory symptoms (asthma, mucus membrane irritation), mental health-related outcomes (well-being, QOL).

Natural environments (integration into built environment)

  • Features: natural light and circadian rhythms;
  • Health Outcomes: mental health-related outcomes (well-being, QOL).

Social (integration into built environment)

  • Features: social building layouts that promote community social connectedness;
  • Health Outcomes: mental health-related outcomes (well-being, QOL).

We invite papers that examine the extent to which health-promoting features of a built environment have specifically impacted health- and well-being-related outcomes. We especially welcome papers that provide data examining links between features of a built environment (outdoor or indoor), health promoting behaviors, and health- and well-being-related outcomes (mental and/or physical).

References

  1. Bird, E.L.; Ige, J.O.; Pilkington, P.; Pinto, A.; Petrokofsky, C.; Burgess-Allen, J. Built and natural environment planning principles for promoting health: an umbrella review. BMC Public Heal. 2018, 18, 930, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5870-2.
  2. Evans, G.W. The Built Environment and Mental Health. J. Urban Heal. 2003, 80, 536–555, https://doi.org/10.1093/jurban/jtg063.
  3. Ortegon-Sanchez, A.; McEachan, R.R.C.; Albert, A.; Cartwright, C.; Christie, N.; Dhanani, A.; Islam, S.; Ucci, M.; Vaughan, L. Measuring the Built Environment in Studies of Child Health—A Meta-Narrative Review of Associations. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Heal. 2021, 18, 10741, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010741.

Prof. Dr. Julian A. Reed
Dr. Elizabeth W. Holt
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • green space
  • health and well-being
  • health-promoting environments
  • indoor built environments
  • outdoor built environments

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 620 KiB  
Article
Integrated Climate Change Mitigation and Public Health Protection Strategies: The Case of the City of Bologna, Italy
by Isabella Nuvolari-Duodo, Michele Dolcini, Maddalena Buffoli, Andrea Rebecchi, Giuliano Dall’Ò, Carol Monticelli, Camilla Vertua, Andrea Brambilla and Stefano Capolongo
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(11), 1457; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21111457 (registering DOI) - 31 Oct 2024
Abstract
Introduction: The ongoing process of global warming, driven by the escalating concentration of greenhouse gases generated by human activities, especially in urban areas, significantly impacts public health. Local authorities play an important role in health promotion and disease prevention, and some aim to [...] Read more.
Introduction: The ongoing process of global warming, driven by the escalating concentration of greenhouse gases generated by human activities, especially in urban areas, significantly impacts public health. Local authorities play an important role in health promotion and disease prevention, and some aim to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. There is a consistent action underway to reach this goal, hence the need for mapping and implementing effective strategies and regulations. Materials and Methods: This study includes the analysis of policy guidelines adopted by the city of Bologna, consulted in March and April 2024. Bologna is one of the 100 cities committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2030, 20 years ahead of the EU target. To identify the strategies adopted to mitigate climate change, the following methodology was used: (i) the systematic mapping of sources and spatial planning documents; (ii) the extrapolation of goals, measures, and target indicators; and (iii) the development of an overall matrix. Results: The main findings of the study and their connection to public health pertain to the identification of key macro-areas contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, while reducing the impact of climate change on health: (1) built environment and renewable energy sources, (2) transport and mobility, (3) energy, (4) green areas and land use, and (5) citizen support. Within these five macro-areas, 14 goals have been identified, to which a total of 36 measures correspond, and, finally, a target indicator is determined, mainly with respect to the reduction of tons of CO2 equivalent per year. Conclusions: In order to protect public health, it is evident that buildings and urban activities should not produce carbon emissions throughout their lifecycle. This paper presents a method to evaluate municipal policies regarding dual-impact solutions that address both environmental protection through sustainability strategies and public health, in compliance with the Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Health-Promoting Built Environments on Public Health)
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