Public health and urban spaces

1. Berta Paz Lourido, PhD
University of the Balearic Islands, bpaz@uib.es
Health Promotion & urban spaces
from the social determinants perspective

2. It is known that…
Cities can play a critical role in
determining health and health
equity through the provision of
basic goods such as health and
social services.

3. By 2030, six out of every 10 people
will live in cities.
By 2050, seven of every 10 people
will do.
The nature of urban change differs
within and among regions.

4. The process of urbanization is
often accompanied by
improvements in indicators of
health and life expectancy.

5. But there is a unequal
distribution of health both within
countries and within cities.

6. The next question…?
What are the attributes of urban
governance, urban daily living
conditions (social and physical
environments) and climate
change that contribute to urban
health inequities?

7. Urban planning
and design
(physical
environment)
Environmental
change
(climate)
Urban
social
conditions
Urban Governance

8. Evidences
There is a reciprocal
relationship between
urban social conditions and
the built enviornment.

9. The poor or disadvantaged almost
always live in the worst housing or
worst neibourhoods.

10. And they are less likely to access
public spaces and goods as a
result of social and physical
barriers.

11. Therefore, good urban planning
can help offset social
disadvantage, while bad urban
planning can exacerbate it.

12. Urban planning can help mitigate
climate change, depending upon
how energy-efficient and carbon-
intensive the cityʼs buildings, urban
built form and tranport system are.

13. The nature of the physical
environment can also assist
people in adapting to climate
change.

14. The effects of climate change
and other forms of environmental
degradation can exacerbate
health inequities that are rooted
in social and economic
conditions.

15. When the natural and built
environments and social and
economic conditions are well
integrated, the product is both
improved health and greater
health equity, and even more
broadly, higher and more equitable
levels of human development.

16. This is to the benefit of the
citizens, their communities, local
business and employers, the city
and indeed the nation as a
whole.

17. In rich countries, children from
poor socioeconomic classes
suffer more injuries and deaths
from road crashes than their
counterparts from high income
groups.

18. The disruption of natural
environmental systems, including
climate change, has profound
implications for the health and
survival of people globally.

19. Crime and violence are more
pronounced in urban areas, and
specially in slum areas.

20. A social determinants approach
suggest that improving living
conditions in areas such as
income, housing, transport,
employment, education, social
support and health services is
central to improve the health of
urban populations.

21. The overall quality of the urban
environment can have impacts
upon physical and mental
health.

22. Many recrational facilities
(recreation centres, youth centres,
parks, physical fitness facilities,
bicicle rentals, swimming pools
and gyms) are unequally
distributed, with poor
beighbourhoods at a strong
disadvantage.

23. Therefore…
The urban physical form, its social
infrastructure, the added pressure
of climate change and the role of
governance could determine
equitable health benefits from
urbanization in the context of
globalization.

24. Urban planning and design have a
particularly role in terms of
influencing the urban physical
environment and thus influencing
health inequities.

25. The health sector need to stablish
partnerships with other sectors
and civil society to carry out a
broad spectrum of interventions.

26. Strong political commitment
to better urban planning and
governance is crucial to create
the intended improvements in
sustained living conditions and
health equity.

27. Berta Paz Lourido, PhD
Bpaz@uib.es
UIB