Healthy cities - Urban design for sustainable communities
Rain garden Photo: Landcare Research
The recently published urban design text Landscape and Urban Design for Health and Well-Being was written by us, the Greenstone Design UK team. We specialised in urban design for health and well-being over 10 years ago. The renaissance in urban design finally encompasses attention to user needs as well as aesthetic considerations. As healthy landscape consultants we provide policy guidance, advocacy and training services as well as leading salutgoenic landscape design.
Salutogenic urban design requires a more holistic 'joined up thinking' approach to meeting public needs. With an ageing population vision, hearing and mobility impairments will increase in our communities. As we encourage healthy, active lifestyles and move people away from private car use and onto walking, cycling and public transport we need a concomitant increase in public toilet provision as mobility patterns change.
We also need more seating, with comfortable back and arm rests as slow cities become the norm. Inclusive urban design means that we must acknowledge and provide for all members of the community, regardless of age, culture, ability or sex.
Depression is the second greatest cause of disabling ill health globally. Property developers have a unique opportunity to work with landscape design consultants and urban planners to design out, prevent and mitigate obesity, mental and physical health, inequality and climate change problems. Cost effective healthy urban design can make the difference.
We all know the planning conditions that state we must include green space, a playground, planting. We also know the first thing to be squeezed out when budgets get tight are the landscape components of the scheme. Greenstone Design UK have rseearched cost effective ways of retaining the green scheme, and importantly, producing quality sustainable developments that promote the health of the user and the health of the planet. Rain gardens in carparks filter stormwater, slow runoff and provide attractive amenity planting. Multi-generational natural play spaces in residential and retail development boost business, and public health. Roof gardens reduce building insulation needs, and reduce heating and cooling costs.
Public and residential developments can be designed to benefit public health. Simple attention to details such as orientation of buildings towards the sun, retaining mature trees on the site, introducing water through sustainable urban drainage channels, seating and fruiting shade trees provide an opportunity for social interaction, reduce stress, filter pollutants, look good and cost very little.
Some developers wrongly believe their profit margin will be adversely affected by such provision. In fact the opposite is true. With known improvements in geriatric and pediatric mental health sale times are reduced, project turn-around times are improved.
As environmentally responsible developers we can use our position of influence to ensure new housing, schools and health care facilities provide balanced quiet and active outdoor space, accessible green space, with opportunities to grow, pick and eat foods. In partnership with sustainable urban planners and landscape design consultants we can build profitable, resilient communities but we must design Nature in.
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, CPTED, is of increasing interest. To date most interdisciplinary approaches have revolved around the built environment. We work with city planners and others to advise on urban design through landscape forms to prevent crime through environmental design.
While CPTED has been around for a while, landscape and urban design for health and well-being, taking a preventative Salutogenic approach to public health is new. We offer a cost effective, cost efficient way of mitigating depression, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other lifestyle related health conditions. To hear our latest thinking have a look at the video link below. Design for human health and well-being, works on the triple bottom line. Socially, economically and environmentally, we all win with a salutogenic approach to urban design.
Greenstone Design UK is at the forefront of research and delivery of salutogenic, inclusive urban design. Our Director, Gayle Souter-Brown, was invited to address New Zealand's inaugural Universal Design Symposium, in May 2013 via camera from London.
Salutogenic urban design requires a more holistic 'joined up thinking' approach to meeting public needs. With an ageing population vision, hearing and mobility impairments will increase in our communities. As we encourage healthy, active lifestyles and move people away from private car use and onto walking, cycling and public transport we need a concomitant increase in public toilet provision as mobility patterns change.
We also need more seating, with comfortable back and arm rests as slow cities become the norm. Inclusive urban design means that we must acknowledge and provide for all members of the community, regardless of age, culture, ability or sex.
Depression is the second greatest cause of disabling ill health globally. Property developers have a unique opportunity to work with landscape design consultants and urban planners to design out, prevent and mitigate obesity, mental and physical health, inequality and climate change problems. Cost effective healthy urban design can make the difference.
We all know the planning conditions that state we must include green space, a playground, planting. We also know the first thing to be squeezed out when budgets get tight are the landscape components of the scheme. Greenstone Design UK have rseearched cost effective ways of retaining the green scheme, and importantly, producing quality sustainable developments that promote the health of the user and the health of the planet. Rain gardens in carparks filter stormwater, slow runoff and provide attractive amenity planting. Multi-generational natural play spaces in residential and retail development boost business, and public health. Roof gardens reduce building insulation needs, and reduce heating and cooling costs.
Public and residential developments can be designed to benefit public health. Simple attention to details such as orientation of buildings towards the sun, retaining mature trees on the site, introducing water through sustainable urban drainage channels, seating and fruiting shade trees provide an opportunity for social interaction, reduce stress, filter pollutants, look good and cost very little.
Some developers wrongly believe their profit margin will be adversely affected by such provision. In fact the opposite is true. With known improvements in geriatric and pediatric mental health sale times are reduced, project turn-around times are improved.
As environmentally responsible developers we can use our position of influence to ensure new housing, schools and health care facilities provide balanced quiet and active outdoor space, accessible green space, with opportunities to grow, pick and eat foods. In partnership with sustainable urban planners and landscape design consultants we can build profitable, resilient communities but we must design Nature in.
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, CPTED, is of increasing interest. To date most interdisciplinary approaches have revolved around the built environment. We work with city planners and others to advise on urban design through landscape forms to prevent crime through environmental design.
While CPTED has been around for a while, landscape and urban design for health and well-being, taking a preventative Salutogenic approach to public health is new. We offer a cost effective, cost efficient way of mitigating depression, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other lifestyle related health conditions. To hear our latest thinking have a look at the video link below. Design for human health and well-being, works on the triple bottom line. Socially, economically and environmentally, we all win with a salutogenic approach to urban design.
Greenstone Design UK is at the forefront of research and delivery of salutogenic, inclusive urban design. Our Director, Gayle Souter-Brown, was invited to address New Zealand's inaugural Universal Design Symposium, in May 2013 via camera from London.
Tel: +44 (0)7813 512 981
