The report, ‘Healthy Places, Healthy Lives: Urban environments and wellbeing’ provides detailed evidence about the strong links between urban design and aspects of poor health that place a large burden on our communities and health services.
Pauline Barnett, PHAC Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health and General Practice at Otago University, said, “86% of New Zealanders now live in urban areas. But in these areas, people are walking less, there are more cycle crashes on our roads, and urban air pollutants are contributing to the increasing burden of respiratory illness.”
