In modern-day society the
main threats to public health are now considered ‘avoidable illnesses’, which
are often caused by a lack of exercise and physical activity. Research suggests that architectural and urban
design strategies play an important role in reducing the amount of avoidable
illnesses by enabling physical activity through healthier streets. Practitioners must
now consider how they can encourage people to lead
healthier lifestyles and improve health through urban design.

This book presents the path to
healthier cities through six core themes - urban planning, walkable
communities, neighbourhood building blocks, movement networks, environmental
integration and community empowerment. Each theme is presented with an overview
of the issues, the solutions and how to apply them practically with exemplars
and precedents. It's an essential text that provides practitioners
across urban design, architecture, master planning with the necessary knowledge
and guidance to understand their role in producing healthier places and put it
in to practice.