Introduction

Urban planning was first recognised as a state obligation in Australia during the nation’s first experience of rapid urbanisation in the late 19th century. Urban planners in Australia are granted opportunities to strategically promote outcomes that are more sustainable and healthier. At the scale of the city, healthy built environments require connectivity through active and public transport infrastructure, dense networks of green and public spaces and a diversity of housing choices. Healthy cities aspire to the strategic location of services and employment in centres close to where people live so that the things people need to be healthy can be accessed easily and safely. Healthy built environments are planned and managed to be inclusive and responsive to diverse spatial, temporal and cultural contexts. Planning for healthy built environments aspires to equity and balance in built, social and economic outcomes. The three conceptualisations—urban planning, health and healthy built environments—are foundations for the explorations, ideas and evidence presented in this book.