Where we live impacts how healthy we are. A well-established body of evidence has demonstrated that factors such as neighbourhood walkability, access to green space, availability of healthy food, safe and affordable housing and clean air can improve health outcomes. An enhanced sense of well-being, improved mental health and enhanced social capital have also been connected with healthy community design.
This series of web pages gathers promising practices from across Ontario of ways that health units are successfully working in their communities to improve community design for health, and maps opportunities for public health units to influence the Ontario planning process.
