Urban Planning, Development and Non-communicable Diseases

Abstract

September 2011 will see heads of state and government from around the world gathering at a United Nations high-level meeting to discuss the problem of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) for the first time. The decision to hold such a meeting demonstrates both that NCDs have finally been recognized as a global health threat and that national leaders are willing to take action to prevent, or at least mitigate, the burden of chronic diseases. In light of the upcoming high-level meeting, this paper focuses on the specific and unique, but under-used and under-appreciated, role of spatial planning as a means of tackling NCDs and the need for reconnecting with public health.

Acknowledgements

The authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this report and they do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy, or views of WHO or its Member States. We thank Hugh Barton and Marcus Grant for kindly granting us permission to reproduce their health map.