The built environment means the buildings, transportation systems, energy systems, open space, and agricultural lands that make up and support our communities.
Street design, bike lanes and sidewalks; housing types and neighbourhood design; patterns of development; the provision of trees, parks, green space and recreational facilities; and the location of jobs, schools and services are all important components of the built environment.
The built environment can have a significant impact on human health because it can influence people’s levels of physical activity; the safety of travel; the quality of outdoor air; access to jobs and services; and opportunities for social interaction and recreation.
This describes how human health is affected by a broad suite of factors including: income, education, employment, food security, quality of housing, transportation services, and access to health services.
People who live on low incomes have a greater chance of developing a chronic disease or being injured. They are also more likely to live in neighbourhoods with greater exposure to traffic, and less access to healthy foods, parks, trails, green space, and good transit service; factors which increase their risk of illness and injury.
Housing and Health
Housing and Health: Unlocking Opportunity is a podcast series about housing in Toronto and how it affects the health of the people that live here.
Housing is a significant social determinant of health. Policies and decisions made in the area of affordable housing can have a profound impact on population health. Housing policies and program interventions are needed to increase the supply, the repair and the maintenance of affordable, supportive, accessible and permanent housing, where people can live free from discrimination.
Toronto Public Health interviewed Torontonians about their experiences with various housing issues to illustrate the impacts of housing on health and well-being.
Transportation Priorities and Investment for a Healthy Toronto. This staff report to the Board of Health sets out population health and health equity criteria by which proposed revenue tools for new transit investments should be considered and provides input on how to prioritize transportation infrastructure investments in Toronto.
Road to Health: Improving Walking and Cycling in Toronto This report synthesizes the evidence on the health benefits and the risks associated with walking, cycling and physical activity related to the use of public transit, as well as economic assessments and specific strategies to increase the use and safety of active transportation in Toronto. Additional documents include: a 2-page backgrounder and a Staff report.
The Walkable City This report summarizes the findings of a Residential Preferences Survey that gauges public demand for walkable versus more auto-oriented neighbourhoods, and links this information with travel choices, physical activity levels and body weight. The larger study this report is based on is included below in the CLASP section. Additional documents include a 2-page backgrounder and a Toronto Walkability Map which rates the walkability of neighbourhoods across the City.
Active City: Designing Our City For Healthy Outcomes
Healthy Toronto by Design describes how human health is affected by a broad suite of factors such as income, education, employment, food security, quality of housing, transportation services, and access to health services.
Abundant, diverse and well maintained green spaces are important features of a healthy city. Three reports released in September 2015 describe the many health benefits of green space:
These reviews fill a gap in the understanding of the relationship between green space and human health and highlight the importance of continued investments in Toronto’s natural heritage.
Health Effects of Noise & LED Street Lighting
Two Toronto Public Health reports examined the impact of noise on health:
Artificial turf is increasingly being used in places like sports fields, child care facilities and streetscapes. Toronto Public Health completed a health impact assessment to better understand the potential implications of this increase in use.
