Better urban planning is essential to improve health

The proportion of the world's population that lives in cities has been steadily rising, so that 3 in 5 of all people globally will live in a city by 2030. The UCL-Lancet Commission on Healthy Cities explores the many issues other than health services that contribute to population health in a city environment. The Commission has been prepared by lead author Professor Yvonne Rydin (UCL Bartlett School of Planning) and colleagues at UCL and worldwide. The authors address issues that apply globally and use specific examples from cities as diverse as London, Bogota, Accra, and Toronto to illustrate the issues. Just as London's first modern, large-scale, urban sewage treatment system resulted in a 15-year increase in life expectancy between the 1880s and the 1920s, so other large-scale planning initiatives can radically change the health outcomes of city-dwellers - especially for the poorest. In this report the authors recommend focusing on the delivery of a variety of urban projects that have a positive impact on health. While cities have the potential to be healthier places for their citizens, this requires active planning.