ABSTRACT
If it is accepted that the purpose of planning is to promote health, well-being and quality of life, for all groups in the population, then urban planning has a clear moral purpose. Yet inappropriate policies and development fashions persist – whether because of vested interest, governance systems, expediency or misconception. In many places we are still building unhealthy, unsustainable conditions into the very fabric of human settlements. Health service costs (and social inequity) escalate, partly as a result. But there is no longer any excuse for misconception. Spatial planning, working with the market and communities, can be a means of achieving livable, healthy and resilient environments. It is not valid to claim that we do not know the answers. The scientific evidence needed to underpin healthy environmental planning is increasingly comprehensive. Planners and designers have examples of excellent practice, as well as examples of poor, even disastrous, practice to learn from. By way of summary, below are seven conclusions for healthy cities.
