Steve Morton is a Registered Public Health Specialist. He currently works at OHID and focuses on Healthy Places and Wider Determinants of Health. These are his personal reflections and not necessarily those of OHID or the Department of Health and Social Care.
I recently had the opportunity to attend a thought-provoking webinar jointly organised by RTPI (Yorkshire & Humber), Association of Directors of Public Health (Yorkshire & Humber), and the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID), covering the entire North of England. This event was the third in a series of annual webinars, and it was clear that both the ambition and attendance are growing each year. This time, 185 attendees gathered from a broad spectrum of backgrounds, including public health professionals, planners, architects, developers, and representatives from the private and third sectors.
The line up of speakers provided valuable insights, including a reflection from a recently retired planner, a Director of Public Health, a consultant specialising in Environmental & Health Impact Assessments (HIAs), and a practicing planner. Their presentations, followed by a roundtable discussion, shed light on the many challenges faced by public health and planning professionals today, from diminishing resources to the increasing overlap between housing, public health, and planning policy.
You can view the webinar below:
Key Takeaways: The Link Between Spatial Planning and Health
A central theme of the webinar was the undeniable link between town planning, housing, and public health. Our built environment, and the homes we live in, directly impact our health and wellbeing. This connection has long been recognised, dating back to historical pioneers like John Snow, who mapped the spread of cholera in London, or Edwin Chadwick, whose 1842 report on the sanitary conditions of Great Britain helped spark major public health reforms.
Fast forward to today, and while many of the health conditions these pioneers addressed—such as infectious diseases linked to poor sanitation—have been eradicated or significantly reduced, we now face new health challenges. These challenges are increasingly defined by the way we live and behave. The physical and social environments where we live, work, and play strongly influence our health outcomes. Issues such as poor housing conditions (cold, damp, mould, inadequate heating, overcrowding), insufficient green spaces, pollution, lack of safe active travel options, and food availability are critical factors that shape public health today.
One of the most relevant tools in modern urban planning to address these concerns is the Health Impact Assessment (HIA). While these assessments may sound like a modern innovation, their roots can be traced back to the public health approaches of the 19th century. Dr. Duncan, the UK’s first Medical Officer of Health, would likely have recognised these methods as a natural evolution of his own work in improving public health through environmental interventions.
The Role of Local Government in Health
It’s important to remember that health is not just the responsibility of the NHS. Local government has a long and proud history of promoting public health, a responsibility that was officially transferred from the NHS back to local authorities in 2013. The aim of this shift was to empower local governments to take a more population-focused approach to health, tailor services to meet local needs, and influence the wider and social determinants of health such as housing, transport, and the local environment.
This is a crucial reminder: addressing public health challenges through urban design is not solely the domain of public health departments—it requires collaboration across sectors. Housing, planning, and public health professionals must work together to tackle health inequalities and create healthier, more sustainable communities.
Lessons for Future Learning: Collaboration is Key
Reflecting on the webinar, several key recommendations emerged for future learning opportunities:
- A Diverse Audience: Engaging a wide range of professionals from different sectors—public health, planning, housing, and the third sector—is essential. This diversity of perspective fosters a holistic approach to addressing the health challenges facing our communities.
- Range of Speakers: Including speakers with a variety of expertise—such as planners, public health experts, and consultants—ensures that attendees can see the full scope of the issue, from policy making to on-the-ground solutions.
- Real-World Examples: It’s important to highlight practical, tangible outcomes where health and planning policies have been successfully integrated, such as reducing childhood obesity through local planning policies that restrict the development of new hot food takeaways.
- Focus on Policy: Sharing examples of how health considerations have been incorporated into local plans, supplementary planning documents, and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) would be invaluable for future sessions.
Future Topics: What We Need to Learn
Attendees also identified several topics that would be valuable for future webinars:
- NPPF Updates
- Sustainability and Urban Design
- Health vs Viability
- Retrofitting Existing Buildings
- Monitoring Local Plans
- Planning for New Towns
Additionally, planners expressed interest in gaining more knowledge on creating HIAs, understanding the commercial determinants of health, and how planning policies can address the needs of seldom-heard audiences.
The power of collaboration
This webinar marked the conclusion of a busy period of conferences and webinars focused on spatial planning, housing, and public health. However, few have brought together such a diverse range of occupations to discuss the intersection of these vital fields. The event was a reminder of how much more can be achieved when professionals from planning, public health, housing, and other sectors collaborate effectively.
As I reflect on the event, I’d encourage all those involved in town planning and public health to attend future webinars and conferences like this one. But more importantly, I urge you to take the time to connect with your colleagues in housing, planning, and public health at a local level. Building strong, cross-sector relationships will enable us to address complex health and housing challenges more effectively.
By working together, we can create healthier, happier, more sustainable neighbourhoods—ultimately improving the wellbeing of entire communities. The future of urban planning is not just about buildings; it’s about people. Let’s design spaces that promote better health for all.
