A researcher at the University of Sydney in Australia offers three recommendations for planners to better negotiate the real world of politics and governance to help create healthier communities.
Jennifer Kent details three ways that urban planners can have a positive impact on public health. Writing from Australia, Kent's lessons apply easily to the United States and other countries around the world.
Although providing better infrastructure for walking and biking is a prime example of better planning producing better public health outcomes, Kent wants to focus on three les appreciated methods to promote better health.
Equity provides the overarching theme of the three recommendations that follow in the article. "Urban planners are well versed in the fundamentals of planning the equitable city," writes Kent. "But planners must work within the constraints of our political systems and prevailing approaches to government."
The three recommendations, with more detail and explanation included in the article, read as follows: 1) Play to emotions, 2) speak the language of money, and 3) enlist trusted figures.
FULL STORY: Working the system: 3 ways planners can defy the odds to promote good health for all of us
Making Healthy Places
The editors of the book "Making Healthy Places," recently published in a second edition by Island Press, discuss the intersections of public health and planning, including key concepts such as green gentrification, health impact assessments, and AI.
'Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste' and Planning in the Pandemic
The latest in a series of compendia collecting news and commentary focusing on the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on communities.
A Compact, Connected, Clean, and Inclusive Recovery for Mexico
As the Mexican government charts the country’s recovery from COVID-19, a newly published paper charts national solutions to urban transportation and housing challenges that will put Mexico’s cities on a path to prosperity and resilience.
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.
How the ‘Direct Vision’ Design Approach Saves Lives
Designing large trucks to ensure better visibility for drivers can reduce fatal crashes and improve workplace safety.
San Diego Swaps Parking Lane for Kid-Friendly Mini Park
The block-long greenway will feature interactive play equipment and landscaping.
Tracking the Invisible: Methane Leaks From LA’s Neighborhood Oil Sites
Environmental advocates are using infrared technology to monitor and document methane leaks from neighborhood oil sites, filling regulatory gaps and pushing for stronger protections to safeguard community health and the climate.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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Harvard GSD Executive Education
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NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
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