Urban interventions: understanding health co-benefits

Abstract

Improving aspects of the built environment, such as retrofitting housing and designing transport options that encourage active journeys (cycling and walking), can have significant and demonstrable impacts on health and well-being. Policies that have primary goals such as improving energy efficiency can have important measureable co-benefits for health and well-being, as well as climate change mitigation. The authors carried out two community housing trials to measure the benefits of installing insulation and effective heating on households' health and well-being. These trials have shown that these energy efficiency projects increase health and well-being, reduce hospitalisations and excess winter mortality, and at the same time reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In a third trial, they remediated injury hazards in houses, significantly reducing the household injury rate. Using a quasi-experimental study, the authors evaluated the impact of retrofitting infrastructure to increase cycling and walking. This showed that the distance from housing to the new infrastructure was an important explanatory factor for positive changes in choice of modes of travel. Distance of housing from school was also an important factor in whether children walked or cycled to school. In conclusion, retrofitting urban and suburban infrastructure can increase health and well-being, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions.