How to improve quality of life through the built environment

These issues are systemic, and cannot be solved by the NHS alone. Amongst planners, designers and developers, there is growing recognition that we must go further than simply delivering homes or infrastructure. We must design and deliver places that actively support healthier, better educated and more resilient communities.

Moving the dial

Encouragingly, recent changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) signal a stronger commitment to health and wellbeing, particularly in paragraphs 96 to 108: “Planning policies and decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places which promote social interaction, are safe and accessible, and enable and support healthy lifestyles.”

This should be viewed not as a tick box requirement, but as a strategic imperative. Health must be considered from the outset of a development, not as an afterthought once a masterplan is drawn up. Despite this positive shift in policy, local delivery often falls short. Local authorities, housing associations and developers alike can struggle to prioritise health outcomes in practice. Viability assessments, funding constraints and the complexities of cross sector collaboration mean that even well intentioned schemes can fail to deliver their full potential once occupied.

Designing for positive outcomes

Embedding health and wellbeing into placemaking requires more than good intentions. It calls for early, meaningful engagement with local communities to really understand their needs. Take, for example, the increasing inclusion of community gardens or public orchards in masterplans. While these are positive features, they can quickly become liabilities if local authorities lack the resources to maintain them. Long term stewardship and community governance models must be part of the plan from day one.

There’s also a delivery gap between strategic ambitions and operational reality. Developers are generally open to healthy urban design, but without strong policy backing and joined up local frameworks, these ideas risk being lost. Local plans should provide clarity and consistency, giving positive weight to projects that promote health and wellbeing.

Learning from success 

Brighton and Hove is a great example of community centric planning. Its local plan embeds health and wellbeing through a hyperlocal lens, emphasising walkable neighbourhoods, access to education and support services and the safeguarding of community assets. This kind of holistic approach, grounded in place-based insight, provides a roadmap for other local authorities and developers alike.

Internationally, New York City’s historic mansions were designed around principles of shared courtyards, walkable blocks and incidental social interaction, features that naturally promote mental wellbeing and community cohesion. In the UK, emerging design codes offer a mechanism to embed similar thinking into new developments, focusing not just on form and materials, but on how places help people connect, move, learn and thrive.

Moving forward

To make real progress, we need a joined up, long term approach that aligns national policy with local delivery, empowers local authorities to collaborate with public health teams, and clarifies roles through practical protocols. Planning committees must place greater value on developments that promote health and education because healthy, well connected communities aren’t just good for society; they’re commercially sound. Homes in these places sell faster, retain value, and ease long-term pressure on public services. Above all, we must design with communities, not just for them. By embedding health, education, and social value into the DNA of placemaking, we move beyond simply building houses to laying the foundations for better lives.

Further information

Contact Andrew Buroni or Vinita Duhme 

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