Who is this for?

Governments

If you are an elected government representative this website is for you. It aims to give you knowledge, tools and connections to help ‘make a difference’ in your area. It deals with one of the critical health issues affecting communities across Australia and one on which your constituents may be looking to you for leadership.

That critical health issue is the identified epidemic of overweight and obesity. Elected representatives have opportunities and responsibilities for helping to ensure that spaces and places are more people friendly, and as such bring about short- medium- and long-term health benefits for individuals and communities, and with them social and economic benefits.

Through Healthy Spaces and Places you can be better informed about the latest research linking health and planning and design. You can also refer people to this site as a single source of information about the health and wellbeing benefits of spaces and places that are designed and built for people to walk, cycle, take part in all forms of active recreation and use public transport.

Healthy Spaces and Places provides government with opportunities to:

• read the research which tells us why quality built environments (places) are so important to our health, fitness and happiness
• look at examples of well-designed places that encourage walking, cycling and public transport usage
• better understand what it is that planners, designers and related groups should consider when planning, designing and building places so that those places best support people’s lifelong health and wellbeing
• understand what is required in terms of planning, design and infrastructure that gives priority to walking, cycling, physical recreation and use of public transport.

The information on this site includes:

• Case Studies - practical Australian examples on how healthy planning principles can make for better places 
• Healthy Spaces and Places: An Overview - summary of the national guide to designing places for healthy living
• Design Principles - key principles to consider when designing environments to support active living
• Development Types - how healthy design principles can be applied to a range of development types, such as schools, neighbourhood parks and shopping precincts
• Why Health & Planning? – the evidence on how good planning can improve health and wellbeing 
• Making it Happen – information on how planners, designers and others can put into practice planning for healthy and active living
• Australian Planning Systems: Health Interventions  – outlines the the stages in Australian planning systems where health and wellbeing can be addressed.

Using the glossary

The glossary on this website aims to help bridge gaps between the ‘languages’ of the different groups that may have impeded understandings and actions in the past, especially between planning and design professionals, health professionals and the community.

Much thought has gone into de-jargonising the language used, wherever possible. However, some terms are difficult to explain in simpler ways and/or removing them can seem like ‘dumbing down’ language in ways that is confusing.  So, when there are terms that are not familiar to you please refer to the glossary for explanations.  
 

Last updated on 6th August, 2009