The Covid 19 pandemic brought rapid and sometimes difficult changes in how we live, work and play. As many of us were forced to retreat to our local neighbourhoods we became more aware of the challenges of being physically active or supporting our emotional well-being in this restricted space. How can local neighbourhoods better meet the demands of 24 hr occupation and enable people to sustain their health and well-being?
- How we think about healthy neighbourhoods and the needs they should meet has evolved since 2019, inspired by thinking about 15 minute cities.
- Only 10% of the factors driving health inequalities in Europe are attributed to health care.
- External health factors are air quality, active travel, access to good education, employment and to nature.
- Compactness and accessibility can help maximise the potential for active travel.
- Greenness, inspiring and enabling healthy eating, play and leisure are key.
- Schools, health and wellbing centres, local jobs and multi-generational spaces offer important local destinations.
Over time working from home increased the density of people around in residential areas during the day. Since 2019 this has more than doubled with people potentially spending more time outdoors, in their communities or with friends and families.
Before the Covid 19 pandemic 12% of adults worked from home, this rose to 82% during the pandemic and whilst hybrid working (working at home and at a usual place of work) has now decreased, 38% of workers are still spending all or some of the working week at home. (Is hybrid working here to stay? ONS 2022). There are opportunities to rethink the ingredients of suburban neighbourhoods shaping healthier active and more socially and economically dynamic places.
The report People Place Health (2022) (developed by Arup for the Bevan Commission) looks at the future of health and care in Wales. It identifies how place is instrumental in a ‘health and care ecosystem’. Only 10% of the factors driving health inequalities in Europe are attributed to health care (World Health Organisation 2019). The external factors are air quality, active travel, access to good education, employment and to nature. The report recommends a shift to a preventative model focused on prevention and ‘personal ownership’ of health. This idea of personal ownership implies the need for free to use opportunities to maintain good health close to where people live. People Place Health draws on the Parisian 15 Minute Neighbourhood that captured people’s imaginations during the Covid 19 pandemic influencing how the West of England Placemaking Charter developed.
The potential for a positive relationship between place and health continues to be central to how we think about neighbourhoods. In England the NHS/TCPA published Putting Health into Place (2019) drawing on research into healthy new towns. It identified 10 principles for healthy places – including maximising active travel, inspiring and enabling healthy eating, play and leisure. It also highlighted the importance of assessing local health care needs and assets and creating integrated health and wellbeing centres in new development.
The TCPA’s guide to 20-Minute Neighbourhood (2021) brings together learning from the experience of implementing 20 minute neighbourhoods in Paris, Melbourne and Portland, setting out the key features of healthier, active and prosperous neighbourhoods.
Alongside the principles of compactness, greenness and accessibility this highlights the important role of schools, local jobs and the importance of creating multi-generational spaces. The document sets out to inspire planners and those involved in placemaking providing useful links to a wide range of sources.
Features of 20 Minute Neighbourhoods, TCPA
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October 2022 (Updated November 2024)