Planning for Healthy Cities

Course aim

The main aim of this course is provide planning and allied health students with a theoretical understanding, embedded in the concept of prevention of chronic diseases, about the role of the built environment in health. Associated with this aim is the development of skills to be able to contribute to land use planning and urban design and human services program design that can lead to health promoting behaviours by individuals in a range of settings. These behaviours include physical activity, social interaction, consumption of nutritious food and contact with nature.

Course content

The course is divided into three main sections. The first is an introduction to and critical examination of the key elements of the conceptual framework for planning for healthy cities. These elements include the role of the social and physical environment in the burden of disease nationally and internationally with a focus on health inequalities and how they can be addressed, the associated concepts of obesogenic environments and links between urbanicity and health; the concept of salutogenisis and the history of the links between planning and health and the emergence of the new public health. The second section focuses on acquiring the skills to analyse the built environment and develop land use plans and residential development codes that encourage active living and associated health promoting behaviours particularly active transport. The skill development will occur through studio work and field trips. The final section focuses on health promoting behaviours in key settings such as work, aged care, childhood and home and the development of plans and interventions to address proximal and distal factors contributing to chronic disease.

Textbook(s)

Dannenberg, A., Frumkin, H., Jackson, R. 2011, Making Healthy Places: Designing and Building for Health, Well-being and Sustainability, 1st, Island Press, Centre for Resource Economics: Washington DC

Prerequisite(s)

Nil

Corequisite(s)

Nil

Teaching method

Note: These components may or may not be scheduled in every study period. Please refer to the timetable for further details.

Assessment

Essay, Group presentation, Report

Fees

EFTSL*: 0.125
Commonwealth Supported program (Band 2)
To determine the fee for this course as part of a Commonwealth Supported program, go to:
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Fee-paying program for domestic and international students
International students and students undertaking this course as part of a postgraduate fee paying program must refer to the relevant program home page to determine the cost for undertaking this course.

Non-award enrolment
Non-award tuition fees are set by the university. To determine the cost of this course, go to:
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Not all courses are available on all of the above bases, and students must check to ensure that they are permitted to enrol in a particular course.

* Equivalent Full Time Study Load. Please note: all EFTSL values are published and calculated at ten decimal places. Values are displayed to three decimal places for ease of interpretation.