Mariposa is located on the site of a former public housing project in Denver, Colorado. The project is a master planned development of a transit-oriented mixed-income housing, senior housing, retail, and common outdoor areas (e.g. playgrounds and gardens) that was led by the Denver Housing Authority (DHA). The development was planned to maximise the amount of residential, commercial and recreation space that is within roughly 15-minutes walking distance from public transportation. The re-development aimed to create a connected and healthy place through improved access to physical, economic, and social amenities. The goal of the master plan was to redevelop the area while preserving the positive qualities of the existing South Lincoln neighbourhood.
The DHA phased the redevelopment project over seven years to reduce the displacement of families, the elderly and disabled residents of the former public housing project. Before redevelopment, the 17.5-acre (7 hectares) Mariposa site was home to approximately 250 residents living in brick-clad apartments built in 1954. As of 2017, there were about 1,500 residents living in the same area. Of these 1,500 residents approximately 48 percent were returning residents, in comparison to the typical 10 to 15 percent for similar ‘raze and rebuild’ projects.(1)
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP) is large-scale, master planned urban regeneration project on the site of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. The vision of the project was to use the opportunity of the London 2012 Games to create a dynamic new metropolitan centre for London and an inspiring place where people want to – and can afford to – live, work and visit.
Totalling 560 acres (226 hectares), the QEOP includes plans for up to 6,800 new homes and 91,000 square metres of new commercial space around substantial green and blue infrastructure. The open space includes ‘35km of pathways and cycleways, 6.5km of waterways, over 100 hectares (ha) of land capable of designation as Metropolitan Open Land, 45ha of Biodiversity Action Plan Habitat, 4000 trees, playgrounds and a Park suitable for year-round events and sporting activities’ (1). There are five residential neighbourhoods led by different private sector partners, in addition to East Village (the former Athletes’ Village), including Chobham Manor, East Wick, Sweetwater, Marshgate Wharf and Pudding Mill.
QEOP borders four East London boroughs, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Waltham Forest, each with high levels of deprivation and comparatively poor health outcomes. Regeneration plans in each borough aimed to transform the site’s post-industrial landscape and create better living conditions for residents. The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) is the official planning authority of the Olympic Park and was established in 2012 as a mayoral development corporation under the power of the Localism Act 2011. All the planning applications submitted within the boundaries of the Growth Area are processed by the LLDC instead of the local boroughs. This mechanism ensures an integrated approach to the ongoing development in a way which aims to be responsive and accountable to local concerns while reflecting the area’s strategic significance for London.
The Via Verde project was a response to several challenges for the South Bronx community of New York City: lack of high-quality affordable housing and high rates of asthma and obesity. Delivered through a public-private partnership with a complex financing model, Via Verde offers affordable high-quality homes for a broad range of income levels. Based on existing case study reports, its most successful features are the health-focused amenities and sustainable design, alongside the project’s value in changing perceptions about high-rise housing in America.
Green roofs and food gardens are planted on the rooftops of each building – the organising design feature behind the project’s name, Via Verde, meaning green way in Spanish. The project was the winning design in the New Housing New York Legacy Project (NHNY) competition. The multi-award-winning project is hailed as ‘a model for affordable, green, and healthy urban living’ by the Urban Land Institute.(1)
There’s a lot of guidance about designing healthy communities from public health and built environment professionals. For a change, I found it interesting to hear what Lord Richard Best called his ‘Top 10 Tips’ for designing healthy communities. Lord Best is ‘not a fan of major UK housebuilders’ because he feels their level of quality is not up to muster. So his example healthy development, Derwenthorpe, is led by the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, not a private developer.
Derwenthorpe on the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust website
Lord Best has an informed position on designing and planning healthy communities based on his roles as Vice President of the Local Government Association and the Town & Country Planning Association, and co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People. He was also the CEO of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (1988-2006).
Derwenthorpe is a new development of 489 ‘attractive, affordable, eco-friendly family homes in a digitally inclusive, mixed-tenure community’.1 It’s situated on the edge of an existing village, Osbaldwick, outside of York. Here’s what Lord Richard Best thinks makes this development healthy – couched as his ‘Top 10 Tips’:
Top 10 tips for healthy places (not in any order):
Affordable housing – 40% are rented on secure tenancies
Lifetime Homes Specification (fully accessible – good for all ages and conditions)
Residents get a free bus pass for a year or a loan to buy a bicycle
Home zones (shared street space) where pedestrians have the right of way
Substantial play spaces for children
Sustainable Drainage Systems to avoid flooding (and water ingress into homes)
Electric vehicle charging points on each home, one car parking spot per house and a car club
Affordable heating and power – they have a Combined Heating and Power (CHP) system providing low cost energy for residents.
There are more details on the Joseph Rowntree website (below) with other features of this development that contribute to its sustainability and health credentials.
1Derwenthorpe on the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust website: https://www.jrht.org.uk/community/derwenthorpe-york
Given the long timespans of urban regeneration projects – spanning decades from initial plans to completion – I happened upon New Zealand’s largest renewal project at just the right time. Wynyard Quarter is well along its transformational journey from an industrial port into a very liveable and sustainable community.
In April 2018 it was already clear that Auckland’s planners have used fantastic public realm design and amenities to turn the port into a welcoming, walkable and fun neighbourhood. Having visited or worked on some of the world’s leading portside developments in Sweden, Hammarby, BO01 and Masthusen, I can see that this project will likely become a case study in sustainable design and development.
Kia Ora, Welcome to Wynyard Quarter sign
Walking from Auckland’s CBD you’re drawn west, past the ferry terminal and under the New Zealand’s Team America’s Cup Yacht at the Maritime Museum. You enter Wynyard Quarter by passing rows of luxury yachts and crossing a pedestrian drawbridge. As you approach, there are meanwhile uses, pocket parks and information boards drawing attention to the redevelopment. There will be 500 homes and 48,000 sq meters of commercial space in the central area of the quarter, much of which is starting to take shape now.
Visiting with my young family, we walked straight past the lovely waterside bars and restaurants to Silo Park. There is something here for all ages. A water feature, basketball net, and ‘under the sea’ themed playground were being enjoyed by children, teenagers and adults. Posters advertised outdoor concerts and an open-air cinema project against one of the silos. My favourite part was walking up the gantry, a bridge-like structure with multiple levels and partly covered in plants. It offered fantastic views of the emerging neighbourhood and the harbour bridge beyond.
The view from the gantry looking down on Hamer Street and the playground.
There are many planning frameworks setting out the ambitions and development requirements for Wynyard Quarter on the Panaku Development Auckland website. The project’s Sustainable Development Framework aims to move beyond zero net energy, water and waste impacts to a built environment that positively contributes energy and water and is ‘restorative’. Among other requirements, homes have a minimum target of 7 Homestar rating1 while commercial buildings will need to reach 5 Green Star rating2.
The city wants Wynyard Quarter to be a place where residents are proud of their contribution to a ‘more sustainable future’. This project has the most sophisticated monitoring system that I’ve ever seen for a masterplanning project to showcase its progress against sustainability goals, called Wynyard Quarter Smart.
Users of this online interactive tool can view information on a map of the neighbourhood or through navigating different theme areas, such as ‘Transport, Movement & Connectivity’. It’s fantastic to see that the project managers are reporting their progress throughout the renewal project.
Screenshot of Wynyard Quarter Smart online interactive monitoring tool
This regeneration project is leading practice in many areas, incorporating smart systems and adopting ambitious goals for sustainability and health. Just reporting what I saw on my brief visit, here are some of the outstanding design and planning features that will support the developments’ goals for generations to come:
Infrastructure first: The housing development is just beginning but even early residents will be able to adopt healthy and sustainable behaviours such as walking or cycling because the street infrastructure is already in place to support this. There are also plenty of things to do in the area so that people will have reasons to interact and develop a sense of community.
Public realm design for all ages: People of all ages and abilities will find the parks and amenities around Silo Park to be fun and accessible. The gantry structure has a lift and stairs so wheelchair users or parents with buggies can see the outstanding views from the top deck.
Safe streets: The crossing points are clearly marked and level. The pavements are wide and allow plenty of space for pedestrians and cyclists.
Sustainable drainage: The sustainable drainage systems contribute to the landscape aesthetic and filters water.
Identity – marine and industrial heritage: This place has a very strong sense of identity that comes across through the design of the public realm – buoys floating in grass, the gantry, the ‘under the sea’ playground, the remnants of train tracks, and of course the silos.
Wynyard Quarter is a great place to visit, live or work. If you’re planning a similar project in your city, it would be well worth exploring their approach to sustainability and the incorporation of health and social wellbeing principles. It has already won an ‘Excellence on the Waterfront’ award in the Comprehensive Plans category in the USA.
The silos, sustainable drainage and buoys floating in the grass
New Zealand Green Building Council’s standard for sustainable healthy homes, https://www.nzgbc.org.nz/homestar
Green Building Council Australia’s standard for sustainable buildings, https://new.gbca.org.au/green-star/
There is a common view amongst developers that designing and building for health and wellbeing objectives is more expensive than standard projects and that it doesn’t offer return on investment. I have recently written an article which summarises evidence from a range of organisations, including the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Urban Land Institute, to counter these claims.
The built environment can provide access to physical activity at a range of scales, from transport and mobility infrastructure to provision of parks and even through building design. This is one of the most important features to consider given the cost of not getting this right. Public Health England reported that physical inactivity directly contributes to 1 in 6 deaths in the UK and costs £7.4 billion a year to business and wider society.(1) Through active design measures, a new masterplanned community of 5,700 homes in Texas has boosted physical activity of residents by 40-50 minutes a week.(2) BRE’s recent Design Protocol for Health + Mobility (in partnership with Arup, UCL and AREA Research) provides further information on integrating physical activity into masterplanning and transport infrastructure.(3)
The design of healthy homes and buildings has received significant attention from the development sector. Evidence from a Saint-Gobain commissioned survey demonstrated that 30% of the households surveyed would be willing to pay more for homes which do not compromise health.(4) By considering health impacts at the early stages of design, designers and developers can use integrated design solutions which do not cost extra and allow all homes to be safe and supportive of health and wellbeing. Healthy design should not just become a feature of high-value developments but should be delivered on all schemes. Developers using the Home Quality Mark and BREEAM will find that health and wellbeing is fully integrated into these standards and supports integrated design measures.(5)
The full article is published in the Town and Country Planning Association’s special edition journal entitled ‘#healthyplanning – Securing Outcomes from United Action’, available to download here.
This post was originally posted on BRE Buzz and is cross-posted here.
Can we save the NHS by building healthier places? This was the provocation at last night’s Developing Healthy Neighbourhoods event as part of Bristol’s Healthy City Week. Organised by Bristol Health Partners and IBI Group, and supported by Bristol’s mayor, this event asked the audience to consider two potential solutions to ‘business as usual’ development which often risks creating unhealthy places. I presented the ‘development economics for health’ solution which suggested that developers should create healthier places in all developments – not only high value schemes.
New development near Packington Estate, Islington, London.
The King’s Cross Central regeneration project is one of the largest in London and Europe at 67 acres.(1) This exciting development is opening up a part of the city which may be well known to locals but, until recently, was largely hidden to the millions of people who pass through King’s Cross and St Pancras stations weekly. With new homes, jobs, restaurants and public spaces, this development offers multiple ways of improving health and wellbeing in the local community. Continue reading “Health and wellbeing at King’s Cross”
I recently presented to a national conference of med students on the topic of planning for health. This required me to think really clearly on what the most important message was and how to get it across without using planning jargon. Using terms that resonate with health experts and providing concrete reasons to engage is what planners need to do generally to overcome the current barriers to collaboration. This ended up being a very reflective process about the role and power of the planning system. It’s fairly easy to present what planners do in theory but the practice of actually delivering things on the ground is full of challenges and sometimes disappointments. The best place to start the discussion is where planners and doctors would look first: what does the evidence say?
A slide from my recent presentation showing how the built environment and planning affects health.
Public health professionals have a great deal of data about the health issues affecting people in a given local authority area. Some of this information is freely available on the web from sources like the Public Health Observatories. This data alone is no use unless you know which changes or improvements to the built environment will help address health issues. There is now a growing body of research demonstrating the health benefits of high quality places (including: housing, public space, transport, green space, and more). In reviewing a sampling of Joint Strategic Needs Assessments it is clear that public health professionals in local authorities have awareness of how planning can help create a health promoting environment. But the evidence that planners would need to deliver these changes on the ground goes beyond proof that a problem exists.
In many cases the changes required to improve health are about the wider determinants of health, which are linked to planning, including: housing; accessible/inclusive environments that promote active and social lifestyles; jobs; education; and, crime. Given the scale of new housing required in England there is significant opportunity to ensure that the homes and communities of the future will support our good health, rather than contribute to ill health. And this is where the challenge comes in. Planners know what good quality design looks like. They have the knowledge and skills to work with communities, design teams, and developers to bring about high quality homes and places. And in recent years they have had nationally available standards (such as the Code for Sustainable Homes) to ensure developers consistently follow through with agreements made before houses are built.
The Coalition government’s deregulatory approach will mean that planners cannot use some of these tools to push for high quality development. Even if they are allowed to require quality through a new set of national standards they will need to prove that it is necessary and would not affect the viability of housing developments. Furthermore, planners are having a difficult time negotiating added community benefits from developments due to viability arguments. This means that those public health professionals who until recently thought that planning could be a tool to address health needs by improving housing and the built environment will soon be disillusioned – unless we can build a financial case that proves that prioritising the short-term gains of a developer/land-owner will mean significant cost to the public purse in the medium to long-term. This could be done through the help of public health professionals who have the data and methodology to show the cost-effectiveness of specific spatial interventions.
Diagram from my recent presentation showing the links between the planning and health functions of local government in the UK.
In addition to cost evidence, planners could use evidence that shows the spatial variation of health issues across a local authority area. For example, it is useful to know where pockets of deprivation have health issues strongly associated with the wider determinants of health (see really interesting work from the University of Houston’s Community Design Resource Centre mentioned in the RTPI’s recent paper, see reference below). This information can help prioritise change and underline the argument for high quality regeneration. This is an exciting time with increasing recognition of the value of these two professions supporting each other to create healthier environments. There are challenges to overcome but there is also a growing group of specialists who understand the potential to increase wellbeing for everybody in society, not just those who can afford to live in the nicest places.
Resources:
I reviewed the Joint Strategic Needs Assessments for Knowsley, Sheffield and Hackney as a random selection of background for this blog post.
