Creating Healthy Places

Factors as varied as employment, transport, housing, and green space all affect people’s health. And over the last four years, councils have undertaken a variety of innovative work with local partners to improve public health outcomes. But challenges around housing and transport infrastructure remain.

To explore this important topic, NLGN, supported by The Ramblers, convened a roundtable on public health in Salford in March. The session focussed specifically on the built environment and the opportunities to create healthier places.

Points for discussion included:

• The existing barriers to more effective integrated working
• Opportunities available within regeneration and new housing developments to meet not just economic but also health, social and environmental outcomes
• How councils within mayoral combined authority areas are ensuring place priorities are built into strategic planning

‘Creating Healthy Places’ provides a summary of the insights from participants, which are relevant to Greater Manchester and have wider applicability to places nationwide.

The report concludes that ensuring health and place priorities are built into strategic planning has never been more important. Funding for public services is under increasing strain and a shift to a sustainable, preventative model is essential. A series of recommendations are presented, with the aim of improving public health across the UK.

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