Health & Wellbeing

Accessibility

Accessibility refers to the ease with which people can reach desired goods, services, activities, and destinations. In urban planning, it focuses on ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their physical, economic, or social status, can easily and safely access essential resources, such as public transportation, housing, healthcare, education, and employment opportunities.

Urban planners must prioritize physical accessibility by designing infrastructure that accommodates everyone, including individuals with disabilities. This involves removing barriers in public spaces, buildings, and transportation systems, aligning with universal design principles. Ensuring that public transportation is affordable, reliable, and well-connected to various destinations is also critical for enhancing accessibility.

Urban planners should be mindful of how digital services, environmental sustainability, and health factors intersect with accessibility. As technology becomes integral to accessing opportunities, ensuring equitable access to digital infrastructure is important, especially in rural areas.

Promoting active transportation like walking and cycling can improve accessibility while promoting public health, aligning with broader goals of creating sustainable and inclusive cities.

Affordable Housing

Affordable Housing refers to housing that is reasonably priced, allowing low- and moderate-income households to live without spending an excessive portion of their income on rent or mortgage payments. Generally, housing is considered affordable when a household spends no more than 30% of its income on housing costs (in U.S. case). This type of housing is essential for ensuring that all residents, regardless of income, can access safe, stable, and adequate living conditions.

Creating and maintaining affordable housing often requires policies that encourage its development, such as zoning changes, density bonuses, or public subsidies. These approaches help increase the supply of affordable units in areas where housing costs are otherwise high. Tax incentives or public-private partnerships may also play a role in making affordable housing projects financially viable.

The location of affordable housing is crucial. It should be integrated into neighborhoods with access to essential services like public transportation, schools, healthcare, and employment opportunities. This ensures that residents not only have a place to live but also the ability to easily reach important destinations and resources.

Challenges such as limited land availability, neighborhood opposition, and the potential displacement of residents due to gentrification must be addressed to create lasting affordable housing solutions. Balancing these factors while ensuring equitable access to housing is key to supporting diverse, inclusive communities.

Aging in Place

Aging in Place refers to the ability of older adults to live in their own homes or communities safely, independently, and comfortably as they age, without needing to relocate to specialized housing or care facilities. It emphasizes maintaining quality of life and autonomy by ensuring that homes and neighborhoods are designed to support the changing needs of aging individuals.

To support aging in place, housing options should be accessible and adaptable. Features such as single-level layouts, grab bars, ramps, and wide doorways can make homes safer and easier to navigate as mobility changes. Additionally, having essential services like healthcare and public transportation nearby is crucial for maintaining independence and ease of access to daily needs.

Public spaces and infrastructure must also accommodate the needs of older adults. Walkable neighborhoods, accessible sidewalks, and age-friendly public areas promote physical activity, social interaction, and overall well-being. Access to community centers, parks, and social services helps prevent isolation and ensures that older individuals can remain active and connected within their communities.

Artist-in-Residence

An Artist-in-Residence (AiR) program is a residency opportunity provided by institutions, organizations, or communities where artists are invited to live and work within a particular environment, typically outside their usual studio or location. These programs offer artists time, space, and resources to focus on their creative practice, often culminating in a public presentation, exhibition, or community engagement project.

Community-based residencies are centered around community engagement, where artists work closely with local residents through workshops, public talks, or collaborative projects, often addressing social, environmental, or cultural issues through their art.

Artists can bring attention to underutilized spaces and address urban challenges such as gentrification, public space use, or social equity. Successful AiR programs involve close collaboration between planners and artists to ensure that the residency meets the needs of both the artist and the community. This might include providing logistical support, defining the scope of the residency, and facilitating connections with local resources.

Car-Free Zones

Car-Free Zones are designated areas within cities or towns where motor vehicles are restricted or prohibited, promoting pedestrian, bicycle, and public transportation use instead. These zones are created to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and enhance the safety and quality of life for residents.

Car-free zones often feature extensive pedestrian pathways, bicycle lanes, and public spaces that encourage walking and cycling. They can also include public transportation options such as buses or trams to ensure convenient mobility for residents and visitors. By limiting vehicle access, these areas reduce pollution and noise, creating a more pleasant and healthier environment.

Implementing car-free zones can require careful planning and consideration of potential impacts on local businesses, residents, and traffic patterns. Strategies such as providing alternative transportation options, ensuring adequate access for deliveries and emergency services, and engaging with the community are essential for successful implementation.

Arts Infrastructure

Arts infrastructure refers to the physical spaces, facilities, and resources that support the creation, presentation, and preservation of the arts within a community. Arts infrastructure helps enhance cultural vitality, economic development, social cohesion and culture preservation. 

• Arts infrastructure includes everything from theaters, galleries, and museums to studios, public art installations, and cultural centers, as well as the systems that support arts education, funding, and accessibility.

• Studios, rehearsal spaces, maker spaces, and workshops are essential for artists to create and develop their work. Providing affordable and accessible creative spaces is crucial for nurturing local talent.

• Schools, universities, and community education programs that offer arts education are an integral part of the arts infrastructure. These institutions help cultivate new generations of artists and art appreciators.

• While arts infrastructure can stimulate economic development, it can also lead to gentrification and the displacement of local communities and artists. Planners should consider strategies to mitigate these impacts, such as affordable housing for artists or zoning protections for cultural spaces.

• Planners should consider integrating cultural planning into the broader urban planning process to ensure that arts infrastructure is considered alongside other community needs like housing, transportation, and economic development. Mixed-user development and public-private partnerships often play a key role in the development of arts infrastructure.

Arts-Based Placemaking

Arts-Based Placemaking is a collaborative approach to urban planning that uses arts and cultural activities to shape the physical, social, and economic character of a place. This practice integrates creative expression into the design and activation of public spaces, aiming to foster community engagement, cultural identity, and economic vitality.

Arts-based placemaking projects includes: 

• Public Art Installations: These can range from murals and sculptures to interactive artworks that invite public participation, serving as landmarks and points of pride for the community.

• Cultural Events and Festivals: Regular events, such as music festivals, art walks, or theater performances, can activate public spaces, draw visitors, and create a lively atmosphere.

• Temporary Interventions: Pop-up art installations, performances, or events can temporarily transform a space, testing new ideas and engaging the community in creative ways.

• Creative Urban Design: Integrating artistic elements into the design of streetscapes, parks, and buildings can enhance the aesthetic quality of the urban environment and improve the user experience.

Chronic Disease Prevention

Chronic Disease Prevention involves strategies and actions aimed at reducing the incidence and impact of long-term health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. For urban planners, this means designing and creating environments that promote healthy lifestyles and reduce risk factors associated with chronic diseases.

Urban planners can influence chronic disease prevention by designing communities that encourage physical activity and healthy behaviors. This includes creating accessible parks, walking and biking trails, and recreational facilities that support regular exercise. Additionally, integrating mixed-use developments with easy access to healthy food options, such as farmers' markets and grocery stores, helps promote better dietary choices.

The built environment also plays a role in reducing risk factors related to chronic diseases. Ensuring safe, walkable neighborhoods and improving public transportation can increase physical activity and reduce reliance on cars. Planners can also address environmental factors, such as air quality and access to green spaces, which impact overall health and well-being.

Civic Infrastructure

Civic Infrastructure refers to the fundamental facilities and systems that support the functioning and quality of life in a community. This includes public services and physical assets such as roads, bridges, water supply systems, sewage treatment, public transportation, parks, and government buildings.

Climate Change Adaptation

Climate change adaptation is about preparing for and mitigating the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and heatwaves.

Planners can contribute to climate change adaptation in: 

• Identifying at-risk areas: Pinpoint neighborhoods, infrastructure, and populations most susceptible to climate change impacts.

• Designing for extremes: Ensure infrastructure, such as transportation networks, buildings, and water systems, can withstand extreme weather events.

• Investing in green infrastructure: Utilize natural features like trees, green roofs, and bioswales to mitigate stormwater runoff and reduce heat island effect.

• Creating walkable and bikeable neighborhoods: Promote active transportation to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.

• Prioritizing green spaces: Increase the amount of green areas to provide shade, absorb stormwater, and improve air quality.

• Planning for compact, mixed-use development to reduce sprawl and increase efficiency.

• Building social resilience: Foster community networks and support systems to help people cope with climate change impacts.

Climate Justice

Climate Justice is a framework that recognizes the ethical dimensions of climate change, emphasizing that its impacts are not distributed equally and that those least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions often suffer the most severe consequences. It integrates social justice principles into climate action, advocating for equitable solutions that address historical injustices and ensure that all communities, especially marginalized and vulnerable groups, have a voice in decision-making processes related to climate policies.

Urban planners play a crucial role in advancing climate justice by designing cities that are equitable, resilient, and sustainable. Here are key considerations and strategies: equitable infrastructure development, affordable and sustainable housing, inclusive public participation, access to green spaces, climate-responsive zoning and land use, and disaster preparedness and response.

Collaborative Planning

Collaborative Planning is a process where various stakeholders, including community members, government agencies, and private organizations, work together to develop and implement plans and policies. This approach emphasizes shared decision-making, communication, and cooperation to address complex issues and achieve common goals.

Effective collaborative planning involves structured processes such as public meetings, workshops, and advisory committees to facilitate dialogue and collaboration. Planners should also use transparent methods for sharing information and collecting feedback to ensure that all voices are heard and considered. 

Building strong partnerships and maintaining ongoing communication with stakeholders are key to successful collaboration.

Collaborative planning leads to more resilient and adaptable solutions by leveraging collective expertise and resources. It helps create plans that are not only technically sound but also socially equitable and widely supported, contributing to more sustainable and livable communities.

Community Land Trust

Community Land Trust (CLT) is a non-profit organization that acquires and manages land for the benefit of a community. The trust holds the land in perpetuity and provides long-term, affordable access to housing, commercial spaces, and other community assets. By separating the ownership of land from the ownership of buildings or other improvements, CLTs aim to prevent displacement, promote affordable housing, and support community development.

For urban planners, understanding CLTs is important because they offer a mechanism for community-driven land management and development. CLTs enable communities to take control of their land resources, ensuring that development aligns with local priorities and values. This can lead to more equitable and sustainable outcomes by prioritizing affordable housing and preserving community assets.

Community-Supported Agriculture

Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a model where individuals or families purchase shares of a farm's produce in advance, receiving regular deliveries of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other farm products throughout the growing season. This direct relationship between consumers and farmers fosters a sense of community and supports local agriculture by providing farmers with upfront capital and a stable market for their goods.

For urban planners, integrating CSA into community development involves recognizing its potential benefits and addressing the logistical and spatial needs associated with this model. Planners should consider how to facilitate access to CSA programs through zoning and land-use policies that support urban agriculture and local food systems. This might include identifying suitable locations for community gardens, farmer's markets, or distribution centers where CSA shares can be picked up.

Complete Streets

Complete Streets is a planning and design approach aimed at creating streets that are safe, accessible, and accommodating for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and public transit riders. This concept emphasizes the integration of various transportation modes and the inclusion of features that support a vibrant, functional public realm.

For urban planners, implementing Complete Streets involves incorporating several key design elements to ensure that streets meet diverse needs. This includes designing for safe and convenient pedestrian access with features such as wide sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian signals, and traffic calming measures. Bicycle infrastructure, such as dedicated bike lanes and bike racks, is also essential for encouraging cycling as a viable mode of transportation.

Public transit accessibility should be a priority, with well-placed bus stops, shelters, and connections to other transportation modes. Planners need to consider the integration of green spaces, street trees, and public amenities to enhance the overall street environment and promote community interaction.

Incorporating Complete Streets principles also involves ensuring that designs are adaptable to the specific context of each neighborhood, addressing factors such as local traffic patterns, land use, and community preferences. By engaging with residents and stakeholders in the planning process, urban planners can create streets that not only improve transportation efficiency but also contribute to a higher quality of life and a more inclusive urban environment.

Comprehensive Plan

A Comprehensive Plan is a long-term strategic framework that guides the development and growth of a community. It outlines a vision for the future, sets goals, and provides a roadmap for achieving them through policies, strategies, and actions. This plan covers various aspects of community development, including land use, transportation, housing, economic development, and environmental sustainability.

The plan should establish clear goals and objectives that address identified issues and opportunities. It includes policies and strategies that outline how to achieve these goals, such as land use regulations, infrastructure investments, and community programs. Planners must ensure that the plan is flexible enough to adapt to changing conditions while providing a consistent framework for decision-making.

Cultural District

A Cultural District is an area that is recognized for its concentration of cultural, artistic, and creative activities, institutions, and enterprises. 

Cultural districts are often established to stimulate local economies by attracting tourists, creating jobs, and supporting local businesses, especially in creative industries like galleries, theaters, and artisanal shops. Cultural districts play a key role in preserving and promoting the unique cultural heritage of a community, ensuring that traditional arts and cultural practices are maintained and celebrated.

Zoning regulations need to support a mix of uses within the district, including spaces for performances, galleries, studios, and cultural institutions, as well as residential and commercial areas that can sustain these activities.

Adequate infrastructure, including transportation, parking, and public amenities, is essential for supporting the increased foot traffic and events typical of cultural districts.

Successful cultural districts often involve collaboration between local government, artists, cultural organizations, businesses, and residents. It’s crucial to engage diverse voices in the planning process to ensure that the cultural district serves all segments of the community, including historically marginalized groups.

Challenges include gentrification - displace long term residents and businesses and that the long-term sustainability of cultural districts requires ongoing support, investment, and adaptation to changing cultural and economic conditions.

Cultural Organizations

Cultural Organizations are entities dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and dissemination of culture, arts, and heritage. They can range from museums, galleries, and theaters to community arts centers, historical societies, and cultural festivals. These organizations play a critical role in nurturing artistic expression, fostering cultural understanding, and providing access to cultural experiences for the public.

Planners can facilitate partnerships between cultural organizations and other stakeholders, including local government, businesses, and community groups, to align cultural activities with broader community development goals.

Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural Sensitivity is the awareness and consideration of the differences in values, traditions, and practices of various cultural groups. It involves recognizing these differences without judgment and adapting behavior, communication, and actions to show respect for those diverse perspectives. Cultural sensitivity helps foster positive interactions and reduces misunderstandings or offenses that can arise from cultural differences.

In urban planning, cultural sensitivity is critical when working with diverse communities. Planners need to be mindful of the unique cultural needs and preferences of different groups when designing public spaces, infrastructure, and services. This awareness ensures that the built environment reflects the cultural values of all residents and avoids imposing solutions that may be inappropriate or alienating.

Cultural sensitivity also plays a key role in public engagement processes. Planners must create inclusive opportunities for community involvement, using culturally appropriate outreach methods and materials to reach underrepresented or marginalized groups. This approach helps ensure that the voices of all cultural groups are heard and respected in decision-making processes.

Cumulative Environmental Effects

Cumulative environmental effects refer to the combined, incremental impacts of multiple individual activities or events on the environment over time. It helps in assessing the full scope of environmental impacts, identifying potential problems that might not be apparent from individual projects, and making informed decisions that protect ecosystems and resources over the long term.

Cumulative effects account for the incremental addition of impacts from various activities. For example, multiple construction projects in a watershed may individually cause minor disturbances, but together they can significantly alter water quality, increase erosion, and affect aquatic habitats.

Activities may have interactive effects, where their combined impact is greater than the sum of individual impacts. For instance, combined air emissions from various industrial sources might lead to more severe air quality issues than each source would alone.

Cumulative effects can arise over time as activities accumulate or evolve, and they can span across different geographic areas. Understanding both the timing and location of activities is essential for assessing their cumulative impact.

Identifying thresholds beyond which environmental effects become unacceptable is crucial. Exceeding these thresholds can lead to significant and potentially irreversible damage to ecosystems and resources. 

Development Agreement

A Development Agreement is a legally binding contract between a local government and a property developer that outlines the terms and conditions for a development project. This agreement sets forth the rights and obligations of both parties, addressing issues such as land use, infrastructure improvements, timelines, and public benefits. Development agreements are often used for large-scale or complex projects where traditional zoning or permitting processes may not adequately address the needs of the project.

The agreement typically grants the developer certain assurances, such as the right to develop the property according to agreed-upon terms without the risk of future zoning changes that could alter the project’s scope. In return, the developer may agree to provide public amenities or infrastructure improvements, such as parks, roads, or affordable housing, that benefit the community.

For urban planners, development agreements are important tools for managing growth and ensuring that private developments align with public interests. Planners work with developers to negotiate terms that balance the needs of the community with the developer's goals, ensuring that the project supports long-term planning objectives, such as sustainability, transportation access, or affordable housing.

Digital Engagement

Digital Engagement refers to the use of online tools and platforms to involve the public in planning, decision-making, and community discussions. This approach allows for broader, more accessible participation by leveraging websites, social media, virtual meetings, online surveys, and interactive maps. Digital engagement is becoming increasingly important as more communities seek to engage residents who may be unable to attend traditional in-person meetings due to time, geographic, or other constraints.

In the urban planning context, digital engagement enables planners to reach a wider and more diverse audience, fostering inclusivity in the planning process. It provides opportunities for people to give input on projects, policies, or developments at their convenience, often through interactive platforms that visualize proposed changes and solicit feedback. Tools like online polls, forums, and virtual town halls allow residents to voice concerns, offer suggestions, and stay informed about planning activities.

Effective digital engagement requires careful planning to ensure the platforms are user-friendly, accessible, and culturally sensitive. Urban planners must consider digital equity, ensuring that all community members, including those without access to high-speed internet or digital literacy skills, can participate. In many cases, combining digital methods with traditional engagement approaches can help ensure that input is inclusive and representative of the community.

Disadvantaged communities

Disadvantaged communities are populations that face significant social, economic, and environmental challenges, often resulting in limited access to resources and opportunities. These communities may experience high levels of poverty, unemployment, inadequate housing, limited access to quality education and healthcare, and exposure to environmental hazards. 

In urban planning, addressing the needs of disadvantaged communities is critical for promoting equity and social justice. Planners must prioritize policies and projects that improve living conditions and provide greater access to essential services, such as affordable housing, transportation, healthcare, and education. Planners also work to ensure that these communities are protected from disproportionate environmental risks, such as pollution or flooding, and that they are given a voice in the planning and decision-making processes.

Improving the resilience and sustainability of disadvantaged communities often involves targeted investments in infrastructure, green spaces, and economic development initiatives. Planners can help bridge gaps by promoting affordable housing, equitable transit options, and inclusive community engagement practices to empower residents and ensure their needs are reflected in planning outcomes.

Ecological Footprint

An Ecological Footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of land and water required to produce the resources consumed and to absorb the waste generated, including carbon emissions.

It is often expressed in global hectares (gha) and provides an estimate of how much of Earth's resources are being used compared to what is available, helping to determine whether a population is living within the planet's ecological limits.

Important aspects of reducing ecological footprint include: understanding resource consumption, sustainable land use, reducing energy consumption, promoting sustainable transportation, water and waste management, green infrastructure and urban ecology, measuring carry capacity, addressing food systems, and encouraging circular economies. 

Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem Services are the benefits that humans derive from natural ecosystems. These services include the provision of resources like food, water, and raw material.

Major ecosystem services are provision services - the tangible products ecosystems provide, such as food, water, timber, and raw material; regulating services - climate regulation, flood control and water regulation, air quality, and water purification; and supporting services - biodiversity and nutrient cycling such as the decomposition of organic matter and the replenishment of soil fertility.

Environmental Justice

Contributor: Placeholder  |   Last update: September 7, 2024

Environmental Justice (EJ) refers to the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, nationality, or income, in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. The goal is to ensure that no group of people, especially marginalized or disadvantaged communities, bears a disproportionate share of negative environmental consequences from industrial, governmental, or commercial activities.

Environmental justice emphasizes that all communities should have equal protection from environmental harm. This means that no population group should disproportionately suffer from pollution, hazardous waste, or other environmental risks, regardless of their socioeconomic status or ethnicity.

A key aspect of EJ is ensuring that communities affected by environmental decisions have a voice in the decision-making process. This includes providing access to information, allowing for public participation, and considering community concerns in the outcomes of decisions.

EJ seeks to address situations where low-income or minority communities are disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards, such as air pollution, toxic waste sites, industrial facilities, and unsafe drinking water. Historically, these communities have often been overlooked, leading to unequal environmental burdens.

EJ emphasizes the importance of considering cumulative environmental impacts that disadvantaged communities may face from multiple sources. For example, a neighborhood might be exposed to air pollution from nearby factories, contaminated water from industrial runoff, and noise pollution from transportation corridors, leading to compounded health and quality of life issues.

EJ also includes climate justice, which focuses on how climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable populations. Communities that contribute the least to global carbon emissions often suffer the most from its impacts, such as extreme weather, rising sea levels, and food and water insecurity. Climate justice seeks to address these inequities by advocating for policies that protect those most at risk.

Environmental Management Plan

An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) is a comprehensive framework that outlines how environmental impacts of a project will be managed, monitored, and mitigated during its life cycle—typically from the construction phase through operation and, in some cases, decommissioning. The EMP ensures that potential negative environmental effects identified during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process are addressed systematically to minimize harm and promote sustainability.

The EMP details specific actions to mitigate or reduce negative environmental impacts identified in the EIA. These measures can include reducing emissions, managing waste, controlling water use, preserving biodiversity, and restoring disturbed ecosystems. The goal is to minimize environmental damage during construction, operation, and post-project phases.

Environmental Stewardship

Environmental Stewardship refers to the responsible use and management of natural resources to ensure their long-term sustainability and health. It involves taking actions to protect and restore ecosystems, conserve resources, reduce pollution, and mitigate environmental impacts, with a focus on leaving the environment in better condition for future generations.

Planners integrate stewardship principles by promoting practices such as green infrastructure, energy-efficient buildings, sustainable land use, and the conservation of natural areas. They work to reduce the environmental footprint of development by advocating for policies that address climate change, air and water quality, waste management, and the preservation of open spaces.

Farm-to-School Programs

Farm-to-School Programs connect local farms with schools to provide fresh, locally grown food for students while promoting agricultural education and healthy eating habits. These programs aim to improve the quality of school meals, support local farmers, and teach students about nutrition, agriculture, and sustainability. Farm-to-school initiatives often include integrating fresh produce into school cafeterias, establishing school gardens, and incorporating food and agriculture education into the curriculum.

From an urban planning perspective, farm-to-school programs are a critical element of building sustainable food systems within communities. By fostering closer relationships between schools and local food producers, these programs contribute to the local economy, reduce food miles, and promote environmental sustainability through locally sourced, often organic, produce. They also play a role in addressing food insecurity by providing access to nutritious meals for students, particularly in underserved areas.

Farm-to-school programs also promote land use that supports local agriculture and green spaces within urban environments. By supporting community gardens, farmers' markets, and urban farming initiatives, planners help create vibrant, healthy communities that prioritize access to fresh food and environmental education.

Farm-to-Table

Farm-to-School Programs connect local farms with schools to provide fresh, locally grown food for students while promoting agricultural education and healthy eating habits. These programs aim to improve the quality of school meals, support local farmers, and teach students about nutrition, agriculture, and sustainability. Farm-to-school initiatives often include integrating fresh produce into school cafeterias, establishing school gardens, and incorporating food and agriculture education into the curriculum.

From an urban planning perspective, farm-to-school programs are a critical element of building sustainable food systems within communities. By fostering closer relationships between schools and local food producers, these programs contribute to the local economy, reduce food miles, and promote environmental sustainability through locally sourced, often organic, produce. They also play a role in addressing food insecurity by providing access to nutritious meals for students, particularly in underserved areas.

Farm-to-school programs also promote land use that supports local agriculture and green spaces within urban environments. By supporting community gardens, farmers' markets, and urban farming initiatives, planners help create vibrant, healthy communities that prioritize access to fresh food and environmental education.

Food Access

Food Access refers to the ability of individuals and communities to obtain and afford nutritious, culturally appropriate food. It encompasses various factors, including physical proximity to grocery stores or farmers' markets, economic affordability, transportation options, and the availability of healthy food choices. Ensuring equitable food access is essential for promoting public health and reducing food insecurity.

In urban planning, addressing food access involves creating policies and infrastructure that support the availability of fresh, healthy food in all neighborhoods, particularly in underserved areas. This may include planning for grocery stores, farmers' markets, community gardens, and food distribution programs in areas with limited access to nutritious food. Planners also consider the integration of food access into broader urban development strategies, such as zoning regulations that encourage the establishment of food retail in food deserts.

Efforts to improve food access also involve supporting local food systems and promoting urban agriculture. Planners might work on projects that increase the number of community gardens, urban farms, and food cooperatives, which can help enhance local food availability and community engagement. Additionally, addressing transportation and mobility issues is crucial for ensuring that residents can reach food sources and that food distribution systems are efficient.

Food Deserts

Food Deserts are areas, typically in low-income or underserved communities, where residents have limited access to affordable, nutritious food. These areas are often characterized by a lack of grocery stores, farmers' markets, or other sources of fresh produce, resulting in a reliance on convenience stores or fast food outlets that may offer limited healthy options.

In urban planning, addressing food deserts is crucial for promoting equitable food access and improving public health. Planners work to identify and map food deserts to better understand their extent and impact. Strategies to mitigate the effects of food deserts include encouraging the establishment of grocery stores and markets in these areas, supporting community gardens and urban farms, and implementing policies that incentivize food retailers to operate in underserved neighborhoods.

Efforts to combat food deserts also involve enhancing transportation options to connect residents with existing food resources. Planners might focus on improving public transit routes, developing community shuttle services, or creating local food distribution programs to ensure that residents can access nutritious food sources more easily.

Food Hubs

Food Hubs are centralized facilities or organizations that aggregate, distribute, and market locally produced food to increase access to fresh, healthy options for communities. They serve as a crucial link between local farmers and consumers, often focusing on improving food access, supporting local agriculture, and enhancing regional food systems. Food hubs can vary in size and function, ranging from small-scale operations to larger facilities that manage extensive networks of local producers.

Food Insecurity

Food Insecurity refers to the condition in which individuals or households lack reliable access to sufficient, nutritious, and affordable food. This can result from various factors, including economic hardship, food distribution issues, or geographical barriers. Food insecurity can lead to poor health outcomes, including malnutrition, chronic diseases, and developmental issues in children.

Planners work to identify areas with high levels of food insecurity and implement solutions such as supporting the development of grocery stores, farmers' markets, and food pantries in underserved neighborhoods.

Planners also play a role in integrating food security considerations into broader urban development plans. This includes supporting urban agriculture, such as community gardens and urban farms, which can help increase local food production and provide residents with fresh produce. Additionally, improving transportation options and infrastructure can enhance access to food sources and alleviate the barriers faced by those in food-insecure areas.

Food Justice

Food Justice is a movement focused on ensuring equitable access to healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate food for all individuals, while addressing systemic inequalities within the food system. It encompasses various issues, including food sovereignty, workers' rights, environmental sustainability, and the elimination of food deserts and food insecurity. Food justice aims to rectify disparities in the food system and promote fairness and inclusivity from production to consumption.

In urban planning, food justice involves incorporating principles that address and rectify food system inequalities. Planners work to create policies and initiatives that enhance access to nutritious food for underserved communities, support local and small-scale food producers, and foster sustainable food practices. This may include developing community gardens, supporting farmers' markets, and integrating food justice considerations into zoning and land use policies.

Food Literacy

Food Literacy encompasses the knowledge and skills needed to make informed and healthy food choices. It includes understanding where food comes from, how it is produced and processed, and its impact on health and the environment. Food literacy also involves practical skills such as meal planning, cooking, and reading nutrition labels. By enhancing food literacy, individuals can better navigate food choices, improve their diet, and contribute to more sustainable food systems.

In urban planning, promoting food literacy involves integrating educational programs and resources that increase awareness about healthy eating and sustainable food practices. Planners may support initiatives such as community cooking classes, nutrition workshops, and school-based food education programs. These efforts help empower residents to make informed decisions about their diet and encourage healthier lifestyle choices.

Food Security

Food Security is the condition in which all individuals have reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and lead healthy lives. It involves ensuring that food is not only available but also accessible and affordable for everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Food security encompasses aspects such as food availability, economic access, and physical access to food sources.

In urban planning, food security is a critical consideration for creating sustainable and resilient communities. Planners work to ensure that all residents, particularly those in underserved or low-income areas, have access to nutritious food. This can involve strategies such as developing and supporting grocery stores, farmers' markets, and community food programs in areas that face food insecurity.

Food Sovereignty 

Food Sovereignty is the concept that communities have the right to control their own food systems, including the production, distribution, and consumption of food. It emphasizes local control over food resources, supporting agricultural practices that are sustainable, culturally appropriate, and environmentally friendly. Food sovereignty advocates for the empowerment of local communities to make decisions about their food systems and resist external influences that may undermine local food security and agricultural practices.

In urban planning, food sovereignty is important for promoting local food systems and ensuring that communities have a say in how their food is produced and distributed. Planners can support food sovereignty by encouraging policies and programs that strengthen local agriculture, such as community gardens, urban farms, and local food cooperatives. These initiatives help to ensure that food systems are resilient and responsive to the needs and preferences of local populations.

Healthy Food Environments

Healthy Food Environments are spaces that provide easy and equitable access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally appropriate food. These environments promote healthy eating habits by ensuring that communities have access to fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other nutrient-rich foods, while limiting the availability of unhealthy options like fast food or highly processed products. The goal is to create conditions where individuals can make healthy food choices that support their overall well-being.

In urban planning, the creation of healthy food environments involves addressing food deserts—areas with limited access to affordable, nutritious food—and improving the physical and economic accessibility of healthy food options. Planners work on initiatives such as promoting farmers' markets, supporting local grocery stores, and encouraging urban agriculture, which provides fresh produce to neighborhoods. Additionally, zoning regulations can limit the density of fast-food outlets in certain areas to encourage healthier options.

Local Food Systems

Local Food Systems refer to the networks and processes involved in producing, processing, distributing, and consuming food within a specific geographic area, typically with a focus on minimizing the distance between food producers and consumers. These systems emphasize local agriculture, regional markets, and shorter supply chains, prioritizing fresh, seasonal, and sustainably grown food. Local food systems are often seen as a way to strengthen the connection between communities and their food sources, reduce the environmental impact of food transportation, and promote economic growth within local economies.

In practice, local food systems encompass various elements, including farmers' markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA), farm-to-table programs, urban agriculture, and food cooperatives. They are designed to foster sustainability by supporting small-scale farmers, reducing food miles, and encouraging environmentally friendly farming practices. Local food systems also play a role in food security, ensuring that communities have access to fresh and healthy food while promoting resilience by reducing dependence on long global supply chains.

Mental Health

Mental Health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being, affecting how they think, feel, and behave. It plays a vital role in how individuals handle stress, relate to others, and make decisions. Mental health is influenced by a range of factors, including genetics, life experiences, and environmental conditions, and it encompasses conditions like depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders. Access to mental health care and supportive environments is essential for maintaining well-being.

In the context of urban planning, mental health is an increasingly important consideration. The built environment can significantly influence mental health, with factors like access to green spaces, walkability, community cohesion, housing quality, and transportation options playing roles in reducing stress and promoting emotional well-being. Dense, noisy, or poorly designed environments may contribute to stress, anxiety, or feelings of isolation, while well-planned cities with parks, recreational areas, and social spaces can foster better mental health.

Obesity Prevention

Obesity Prevention involves efforts and strategies aimed at reducing the prevalence of obesity through promoting healthier lifestyles, improving access to nutritious food, and encouraging physical activity. Obesity is a significant public health concern, linked to chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. Preventive strategies focus on addressing environmental, social, and behavioral factors that contribute to unhealthy weight gain, particularly in urban settings where the built environment can impact daily habits.

Urban planning plays a crucial role in obesity prevention by designing cities and communities that promote active living and provide access to healthy food. This can be achieved by creating pedestrian-friendly streets, expanding parks and recreational spaces, developing safe cycling infrastructure, and improving access to public transportation, which encourages walking and biking. In addition, ensuring that all residents have access to affordable, nutritious food through local markets, grocery stores, and community gardens can significantly contribute to better health outcomes.

Participatory Planning

Participatory Planning is a collaborative approach to urban and regional planning that actively involves community members, stakeholders, and various interest groups in the decision-making process. This method seeks to incorporate diverse perspectives and local knowledge into planning efforts to ensure that development projects and policies meet the needs and preferences of the community.

Pedestrian-Friendly Design

Pedestrian-Friendly Design refers to urban planning and design practices that prioritize the needs and safety of pedestrians, making walking a convenient, safe, and enjoyable mode of transportation. This approach focuses on creating environments that encourage walking by integrating features such as wide sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, safe street crossings, and accessible amenities. The aim is to promote walkability, reduce reliance on automobiles, and enhance the overall quality of urban life.

Key elements of pedestrian-friendly design include well-maintained and unobstructed sidewalks, pedestrian-scale lighting, clearly marked crosswalks, and traffic calming measures such as speed bumps or curb extensions. Additionally, creating vibrant streetscapes with street trees, benches, and retail shops can make walking more attractive and engaging. Ensuring connectivity between destinations and providing amenities like public restrooms and water fountains further supports a positive pedestrian experience.

Public Health

Public Health is a field dedicated to improving and protecting the health of populations through prevention, education, and policy-making. It encompasses a broad range of activities aimed at preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting well-being at the community, national, and global levels. Public health efforts focus on areas such as disease surveillance, health promotion, environmental health, and emergency preparedness.

Key components of public health include epidemiology, which studies disease patterns and causes; health education, which aims to inform and empower individuals to make healthier choices; and health policy, which involves developing regulations and programs to improve health outcomes. Public health also addresses social determinants of health, such as economic stability, education, and access to healthcare, which can influence overall health and well-being.

For urban planners, incorporating public health considerations into planning processes is crucial for creating environments that support healthy lifestyles and reduce health disparities. This involves designing communities with access to parks, recreational facilities, and safe walking and biking routes, as well as ensuring that there are adequate services and resources for preventive and primary care. By integrating public health principles into urban planning, planners can contribute to healthier, more resilient communities that enhance the quality of life for all residents.

Safe Routes to School

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a program and approach aimed at making it safer and easier for children to walk and bike to school. The initiative focuses on improving infrastructure, such as sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes, and addressing safety concerns to encourage active transportation. SRTS programs also include educational components that teach children and parents about safe walking and biking practices, and often involve community outreach to promote awareness and support.

Key elements of Safe Routes to School include engineering improvements, such as better signage, pedestrian crossings, and traffic calming measures; enforcement activities, like increased crossing guard presence; and education campaigns that inform students and parents about traffic safety. The program also often involves community engagement and partnerships with local schools, transportation agencies, and public health organizations to address barriers and promote a culture of safe, active commuting.

Smart Growth

Smart Growth is an urban planning and development approach that promotes sustainable, environmentally responsible, and community-oriented development. It aims to create compact, walkable, and transit-friendly communities with mixed-use development, minimizing urban sprawl, and making efficient use of land and resources. Smart Growth focuses on enhancing the quality of life by fostering economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social equity in both urban and suburban settings.

Smart Growth promotes the use of infill development, which involves building on vacant or underutilized land within existing urban areas, as well as redeveloping older, underperforming areas. This minimizes the need for new developments on greenfields and reduces urban sprawl.

Key elements of smart growth include: 

• Compact development

• Mixed-use development

• Walkability and bikeability

• Public transportation

• Preservation of open spaces

• Affordable housing

• Efficient use of infrastructure 

• Community involvement

Social Determinants of Health

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) are the non-medical factors that influence an individual's health and well-being. These factors include economic stability, education, social and community context, health care access, and the built environment. SDOH play a critical role in shaping health outcomes by affecting people's living conditions, access to resources, and overall quality of life.

Economic stability encompasses factors such as employment, income, and financial security. Education impacts health by influencing knowledge, health literacy, and opportunities for better employment. Social and community context involves relationships, social support networks, and community engagement, which can affect mental and physical health. Access to healthcare includes availability and quality of medical services, while the built environment involves the physical surroundings in which people live, including housing, transportation, and access to healthy food and recreational areas.

Social Isolation

Social Isolation refers to a state where individuals have minimal or no contact with others, often leading to a lack of meaningful social relationships and interactions. This isolation can be caused by various factors, such as physical distance, health conditions, aging, socioeconomic status, or social exclusion. Social isolation is associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and increased risks of chronic diseases.

The built environment can play a significant role in either exacerbating or reducing social isolation. Urban design, land use, and transportation systems can influence how connected or disconnected people feel within their communities. Factors such as a lack of accessible public spaces, poor transportation options, and insufficient community centers can contribute to social isolation by making it difficult for people to engage in social activities or connect with others.

For urban planners, addressing social isolation involves creating environments that promote social interaction and community engagement. This includes designing walkable neighborhoods, providing accessible public spaces, encouraging mixed-use development, and fostering opportunities for social participation through community events and gathering spaces. By prioritizing inclusivity and connectivity, planners can help reduce social isolation and enhance the quality of life for residents.

Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder Engagement refers to the process of involving individuals, groups, and organizations who have a vested interest in a project, policy, or decision. In urban planning, stakeholders typically include community members, local businesses, government agencies, non-profits, and interest groups, all of whom may be affected by planning decisions or have input into shaping them. Effective stakeholder engagement ensures that diverse perspectives are considered, promoting more inclusive, transparent, and well-rounded outcomes.

Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture refers to farming practices that prioritize environmental health, economic profitability, and social equity. It focuses on producing food in a way that meets current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Sustainable agriculture aims to minimize negative environmental impacts, such as soil degradation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss, while promoting efficient resource use, such as reducing water and energy consumption.

This approach to agriculture often incorporates practices such as crop rotation, organic farming, agroforestry, and integrated pest management to enhance soil fertility, protect ecosystems, and reduce reliance on synthetic inputs like fertilizers and pesticides. By emphasizing long-term sustainability, these practices also seek to ensure food security, support rural livelihoods, and enhance resilience to climate change.

Universal Design

Universal Design refers to the concept of creating products, environments, and systems that are accessible and usable by people of all ages and abilities, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. The goal of universal design is to ensure that spaces, objects, and services are inclusive and functional for everyone, including individuals with disabilities, the elderly, and others with varying needs.

Universal design principles include simplicity, flexibility, and ease of use, aiming to accommodate a wide range of physical, sensory, and cognitive abilities. Examples of universal design in urban planning might include ramps and elevators in buildings, clear signage, wide doorways, and accessible public transportation. The approach also considers aspects such as ease of navigation and the availability of assistive technologies.

Walkability 

Walkability refers to how friendly an area is to walking. Key components include the availability of sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian signals, street connectivity, safety, and the presence of amenities and destinations within a walkable distance.

Benefits of walkability include improve public health by encouraging physical activity, leading to lower greenhouse gas emissions by reducing reliance on automobiles, boosting local business by attracting more foot traffic, and fostering social interaction by creating opportunities for people to meet, converse, and engage with their community

Key strategies to improve walkability include 

• 1) human-scale design:  designing streets and public spaces that are comfortable and inviting for pedestrians. This includes elements like street trees, benches, lighting, and public art; and

• 2) Mixed-use development - where residential, commercial, and recreational spaces coexist, creates destinations within walking distance and supports a vibrant street life.

Challenges to walkability include suburban sprawl: Low-density, car-dependent suburban development patterns often lack the infrastructure and land use diversity necessary to support walkability. In addition, extreme weather conditions can discourage walking. 

Walkability is closely linked to public transit. Planners should ensure that transit stops are accessible by foot and connected to a walkable street network.

Equity considerations: planners should focus on improving walkability in all neighborhoods, particularly underserved communities that may lack safe and accessible pedestrian infrastructure. On the other hand, walkable neighborhoods are often in high demand, leading to higher housing costs. Planners need to consider policies that ensure affordable housing options are available in walkable areas.