Healthy urban environment and design : the outdoor spaces

Abstract

The paper discusses the evolution of the concept of health and its relationship with the urban environment and design, starting from the first phase (1997) of the initiative of World Health Organization Regional Office of Europe ‘Healthy Urban Planning’. At the same time, the paper focuses on the evolution of the debate at European level and internationally produced initiatives and documents. “Healthy urban planning means planning for people. It promotes the idea that the city is much more than buildings, streets and open spaces, but a living, breathing organism, the health of which is closely linked to that of its citizens” (Barton and Tsourou, 2000). According with this concept, the Zagreb declaration (2009) has defined that “A healthy city offers a physical and built environment that supports health, recreation and well-being, safety, social interaction, easy mobility, a sense of pride and cultural identity and is accessible to the needs of all its citizens”. The urban planners and the architects plays a strategic role in delivering those requirements. In these frameworks at European and at International level, the paper highlights the themes and actions of the urban planner and architect discussing examples of best practices related to open spaces. Such spaces are in fact identified and represent one of the areas of action for sustainable regeneration of cities and the activation of proactive health projects which are becoming 'common goods'.