Abstract
Urban planning and design in the 21st century is increasingly focusing on sustainability, illustrated by the proliferation of greener cities. While operational definitions and the actual planning of these cities can vary considerably (e.g., eco cities and low carbon cities), conceptually, at least, these terms overlap, particularly with regard to how they attempt to achieve both greener infrastructural design and healthier human lifestyles. This paper presents the findings of survey-based research carried out within Lingang New Town in Shanghai in 2019. In the cities of the Global North, the interplay between green infrastructural provision and public health has been of interest, especially in the context of social inequalities; however, there is little research from rapidly urbanizing countries where green urbanism is being increasingly promoted. Using this newly constructed example, we identified a clear positive correlation between moving to a green city and the adoption of healthier lifestyles. The structural equation modelling results suggest that behaviors around the use of green space as well as perceptions of different green space have notable impacts on residents’ physical health, measured by body mass index (BMI). The findings further illustrate systemic inequalities among private housing, rental housing and public housing typologies with regard to the distribution of health benefits.
Highlights
Urban planning in the 21st century is increasingly focused on sustainability and health [1,2].This is evidenced by use of terms such as green, eco and low carbon cities across different regions.In principle, these cities are defined by having greener economies, resource consumption, landscapes and communities than traditional cities
While operational definitions and actual configuration can vary considerably, conceptually, at least, these terms overlap with regard to how they attempt to achieve healthier human lifestyles [3,4,5]
This paper aims to examine residents’ health benefits from moving to a brand-new green city—
Summary
Urban planning in the 21st century is increasingly focused on sustainability and health [1,2] This is evidenced by use of terms such as green, eco and low carbon cities across different regions. In principle, these cities are defined by having greener economies, resource consumption, landscapes and communities than traditional cities. Lewis Mumford promoted “the city beautiful movement” in the US [6,7]. These planning practices depended to an important extent on the provision of safe and accessible green space, as well as people’s opportunities to seek local healthy recreation options. Urban planning’s emphasis on environmental factors has sustained in many regions, with exemplars such as Freiburg in Germany and Hammarby in Sweden, practicing sustainable design for better lives [8,9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
