Healthy Places, Healthy People
The Healthy Places, Healthy People initiative is the result of a collaborative undertaking led by Queensland Health and the Office of the Queensland Government Architect. The collaboration involved Queensland Government agencies responsible for policy, planning and investment specific to the built and natural environments.
The initiative provides a mechanism for Queensland Government agencies to consider and integrate health outcomes into their policies, practices and investment decisions. By working together to improve our built and natural environments, we can positively influence the health of Queensland communities.
Read the Healthy Places, Healthy People report (PDF 3086 kB).
Framework
The Healthy Places, Healthy People framework is based on a broad definition of health. It recognises the physical and mental wellbeing of an individual, as well as the social, emotional and cultural wellbeing of the community are all connected.
The framework is underpinned by 3 key principles, and brings together 9 built and natural environment design attributes that are proven to support better health outcomes:
- Connected—make it easy to move around, interact and enjoy an active lifestyle
- accessible and integrated public transport
- convenient access to services and open spaces
- easy to get around in active ways.
- Welcoming—bring community together and encourage participation
- safe at all times of day and night
- vibrant local places where people want to be
- respectful and inclusive of diverse needs and backgrounds.
- Responsible—enable current and future generations to flourish
- adaptive and responsible to our climate
- locally grown fresh food and drink
- cool clean and green.
Government agencies, local councils and non-government organisations are encouraged to use the framework to prioritise health consideration in their policy, planning and investment decisions.
Unlocking opportunities
Outputs from the Healthy Places, Healthy People initiatives will provide opportunities to:
- Guide change through the development of assessment criteria and guidelines which identify design features that promote healthy living and inform the development of healthy spaces, policies and programs.
- Share evidence and knowledge from the initiative process and adoption to promote confident evidence-based decision making with a health focus.
- Demonstrate the value by quantifying how healthy places infrastructure and investment can increase productivity, strengthen the economy and reduce demand on health and social services.
