How To Create Places That Promote Healthy Behavior

The U.S. is suffering from poor mental and physical health. Estimates say that one-third of adults are obese, and that only 17 percent of adults are in a state of optimal mental health.

According to Curbed, a new report from the Project for Public Spaces, titled “The Case for Healthy Places: Improving Health through Placemaking,” examines the relationship between location, design, and public health, based on clinical research.

The report has five sections: social support & interaction, play & active recreation, green & natural environments, healthy food, and walking & biking.

The Case for Healthy Places offers guidelines and plans for creating beneficial neighborhood infrastructure and programming such as farmers markets, community gardens, and public plazas. Community case studies such as the 78th Street Play Street, a DIY playspace created by a local group in Queens, New York, or Peaches & Greens, a combination produce store, commercial kitchen, and community space in Detroit, showcase how these ideas can be put into practice.

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