Community-driven Urban Planning to Promote Health Equity and Address Bias

by Bree Bode, Karah Brink, Adriana Akers, Josh Leffingwell, Michelle Davis

Urban design is a critical concept for supporting the infrastructure and well-being of a city, catalyzing a higher quality of life, and optimizing equitable built environments (1,2). When constructs of urban design are paired with human design frameworks, approaches, practices, and principles, the potential to positively shift the social and political factors of health (SPFOH) in an equitable manner is more attainable (3,4). Without such frameworks, approaches, and inclusive practices, the concepts of urban design negatively impact people globally. When urban design has been paired with motives of xenophobia, racism, or gender bias, the comprehensive SPFOH have compromised livelihoods as seen in historical and recent examples in both the United States and Europe (5-7). 

---

Read More