THE ADDED VALUE OF EVIDENCED BASED GUIDANCE IN URBAN DESIGN PRACTICES Jo Appleby Heart Foundation

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Help all Australians to have environments that support healthy choices and promote heart health.

• A healthier food supply• More active living

• A smoke-free Australia

GOAL 1: Healthy Hearts

A Cross-Sector Issue

Co-benefits of investing in healthy built environments

• Public health benefits – Reduced heart disease– Reduced type 2 diabetes– Reduced obesity– Improvements in other risk factors

• Reduced traffic congestion• Reduced air pollution• Climate change, sustainability and reduced fossil fuel

dependence • Safer streets and more convivial neighborhoods• Vibrant communities • Fitness for work, productivity

(Giles Corti B., Foster S., Shilton TR & Falconer R. The co-benefits of investing in active transportation. NSW Public Health Bulletin. July 2010)

ImagesImagesSource: Heart FoundationSource: Heart Foundation

Collaborative Project

Coordinated by:

National Heart Foundation

In collaboration with:

Department of Planning

Department of Transport

Department of Sport and Recreation

Department of Health

Planning Institute of Australia

Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority

Landcorp

Commissioned partners:

HASSELL

CBEH

Aurecon

3 Phase Project – Commenced 2009

The Evidence – Western Australia• 40% of WA adults

insufficiently active

• By 2061 WA’s population is expected to reach 7.7 million,

• By 2020, an additional 1 million motorised vehicles are predicted to be on Perth roads

• Perth is the second most congested city in Australia

• Perth's urban sprawl has overtaken Los Angeles and Tokyo

• Rapid growth demonstrated in regional areas

• Rapid population growth must be underpinned by sufficient community infrastructure

Audience

Primary audience • Planners (Land Use and Transport)• Local Government (Planning and Transportation) • Developers

Secondary audience • Those who work with planners (and the built

environment) – Sport and recreation workers– Transport– Health promotion– Parks and gardens– Local Government officials – Education

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End User Consultation

• Metro Workshops • Regional Workshops • Online surveys • Conferences• Master Class • End-user web testing• Local Government testing

• All with the primary end user in mind

HABD ToolSelected Design Features

– Mixed-use

– Movement Network

– Schools

– Sense of Place

– Shared Facilities

– Buildings

– Town centre/Main Street

– Public Open Space

– Housing Diversity

** The Food environment to be integrated

throughout all design features

Mixed-use

The creation of compact mixed-use neighbourhoods with a diverse mix of employment, education, retail, fresh and

healthy food outlets and recreation land uses and

destinations integrated with public transport and within

close proximity of a variety of residential dwelling types

allows residents to undertake and fulfil a variety of daily activities and needs (i.e., live, work, play) in their neighbourhood and encourages active and sustainable modes of transport.

Movement Network

Provide accessible, safe and connected movement

networks integrating walking, cycling and public transport

routes for safe and convenient travel within and between neighborhoods and to local

destinations.

Maximizes opportunities to engage in planned and

incidental physical activity and encourages the use of public

transport.

Town Centres / Main Street

Provide for the diverse daily needs of a community through

the provision of walkable neighbourhood and town

centres that act as community focal points or hubs with a

concentration of co-located destinations and mixed land uses that attract people for a

multitude of activities and fulfil a variety of daily activities

and needs. . These should be surrounded

by a network of connected streets, paths and cycle ways,

integrated with public transport and within close

proximity of a variety of residential dwelling types.

Public Open Space

Provide a well distributed network of walkable attractive

and public open spaces and natural areas within the

neighbourhood

Provides for a variety of recreational, sporting, play and social needs of the community.

Housing Diversity

Provide a range of residential lot sizes and choice of housing

products and tenures to facilitate housing diversity and

choice to meet the different housing needs of the

community.

This includes increased residential densities in close proximity to support mixed-

use centres, local employment, community facilities and public

transport.

Sense of Place

Walkable environments are required to enhance sense of community and social capital

by encouraging and facilitating social ties or community

connections through opportunities for residents to meet, interact and engage in

their neighbourhood.

Increases the sense of community or social capital through the facilitation of

interaction between residents.

Shared Facilities

Develop integrated community facilities and shared use of

sport and recreation facilities and spaces to enhance

opportunities for sports participant, physical activity

and enhancement of wellbeing and community interaction

and cohesion.

Schools

Provide schools within walkable proximity (around 800m) to homes and ensure that the routes to school are

connected and facilitate children’s active transport to

school through the provision of footpaths and cycling

infrastructure and served by public transport.

Provide sport and play opportunities for children and open spaces that are capable of accommodating a range of school and community needs,

as well as safe walking and cycling access.

Buildings

Develop buildings and site designs that specifically

supports increased levels of physical activity through the

provision of spaces and facilities that promote

incidental physical activity.

Design to encourage stair use, active transport (end of trip

facilities), less sitting, convenient access to public

transport options.

Multiple Features

• Evidence summary

• Policy links and priorities

• Best practice WA case studies

• Examples (international and national)

• Checklist

• Program/resource links

EVIDENCE

• What do we mean by….?

• Why is it important

• Summary of evidence

• Strong evidence Supported by a pattern of evidence from at least five

cross-sectional studies plus review-level evidence. Strength of research allows us to conclude that there is a relationship and a behavioural outcome.

• Emerging evidence Design strategies supported by an emerging pattern of

research. Existing studies have given reason to believe the that the intervention will likely lead to increased physical activity

• Suggested practices Indicates strategies without a formal evidence base. However theory, common understandings of behaviour and experience from existing practice indicate that these measures will likely increase physical activity.

“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.” – Christopher Hitchens.

Case Studies

• Introduction• Location • Description of project • Project team • Project cost• Values

• Health value • Economic value• Environmental value• Social value• Use value

_Busselton JettyPerth Cultural CentrePerth Cultural Centre

Examples

Links to local, national andInternational projects thatdemonstrate the use of one ormore design features.

The links may refer to presentations,TED talks, strategies, resources, nonWestern Australian policies, projects or sites of interest.

ImageImageArchdaily.comArchdaily.com

8 House by BIG 8 House by BIG Photo Credit: Jen LindhePhoto Credit: Jen Lindhe

New York CityNew York City

ImageImageInhabitat.comInhabitat.com

Summer Street 2012 Kinks off in New York CitySummer Street 2012 Kinks off in New York CityMarc CarterMarc Carter

Checklist

Future DirectionsPhase 3 – from 2014 Launch

2014 – 2015 • Ongoing maintenance, development of

website, partnership and evaluation– Policy updates and integration into

plans across sectors – New case studies and examples – New evidence

• Future website functionality– E.g. training modules– Video and graphics – Interactive tools– E news

www.healthyactivebydesign.com