Designing Equity: How Urban Planning Can Shape Health for All

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Chaovanon Sophonsakulsuk, a fifth-year medical student at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Imagine a city where primary health care clinics are reachable by only walking from every home, public parks are just outside everyone’s doorstep, and neighbourhoods that are safe, diverse, and inclusive for everyone; these are some of many examples of what we could achieve from good urban planning.

Today more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas and is projected to increase exponentially with the emergence of new megacities worldwide. Urbanisation undoubtedly brought many opportunities to citizens living within such as high-quality education, employment, and health care service. However, despite the development and prosperity of urban communities, inequity is also a byproduct of this global transformation. Challenges such as uneven resource allocation, inability to access the given opportunity, spatial difficulty, and many other barriers highlight the need to address the complexities of urbanisation. Therefore, the role of urban planning is crucial in this disrupting era.

Urban planning is far more than creating a layout of roads, placing public facilities, locating buildings, and planning infrastructure; it is an integrative tool for optimising the development of a city in all dimensions, including economic growth, environmental sustainability, transportation, housing, and, importantly, health and well-being of its citizens. Effective urban planning requires a collaborative and multisectoral approach from different stakeholders to address and minimise social, economic, and spatial inequity. The health sector plays a critical role in shaping the society, just as the society plays a critical role in shaping health. Health, as defined by the World Health Organization, is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Urban planning involves many determinants that directly and indirectly affect the entire population’s health. Thus, urban planning that articulates health considerations is the key to achieving good health. 

For example,

Physical well-being is supported by ensuring accessibility to healthcare facilities, increasing greenspaces, creating walkable areas, and reducing exposure to environmental pollution. 

Mental well-being is promoted through increasing recreational areas, safe neighbourhoods, easily accessing mental health services, and improving high-quality housing.

Social well-being is strengthened by making inclusive and diverse communities, supporting affordable housing for workers, immigrants and vulnerable populations, and promoting social interaction through public spaces. 

Urban planning is essential for making environments that support the overall health of the population. making cities not just places to live, but places to thrive for every single person in the city regardless of their gender, nationality, and socioeconomic status. Taking health into consideration in every decision-making and policymaking including urban planning is not an option but an essential step to invest in sustainable development for a future generation.

References

1. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision (ST/ESA/SER.A/420). New York: United Nations
2. Bibri SE, Krogstie J. Smart sustainable cities of the future: An extensive interdisciplinary literature review. Sustain Cities Soc. 2017;31:183-212.
3. Northridge, M.E., Freeman, L. Urban Planning and Health Equity. J Urban Health 88, 582–597 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-011-9558-5

About the author

Chaovanon Sophonsakulsuk, a fifth-year medical student at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, dreams of impacting public health beyond individual patient care in hospitals. He’s interested in health policy, health systems, urban health and health equity. He believes that access to health is a fundamental right, not a privilege. Chaovanon is currently passionate about making Bangkok a healthier and more inclusive place for everyone by working on a study addressing solutions to inequity in Bangkok. His goal is to improve the well-being of entire communities, rather than treating just one patient at a time.