Liveability transitioning: results of a pilot study of walking, accessibility, and social connection strengths weaknesses in established suburbs in Adelaide

ABSTRACT

Population health is profoundly affected by the liveability of the urban environments where people live. In Australia today most people live in suburbs which fall well short of the form and function required for liveability, which is adversely affecting population health and health equity. We produced the Healthy Urban Neighbourhood Transition Tool (HUNTT) to analyze the existing liveability strengths and weaknesses of neighbourhoods with the objective of assessing their potential for, and pathways required, for a liveability transition. This paper presents a summary of the findings of the application of the HUNTT in 22 suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia, looking at the liveability determinant of walkability. The study showed that there were walkability strengths and weaknesses in all surveyed suburbs, and weaknesses tended to proliferate more in middle and all outer suburbs and those with lower median incomes. It also showed that a walkability transition is possible in all the suburbs surveyed. However, it would require coordination between multiple stakeholders, government regulatory changes and intervention, and significant public funding.

KEYWORDS:

• Liveability
• neighbourhood walkability
• health and wellbeing
• South Australia
• transition planning
• health in all policies

Authors’ contributions

Conceptualization: Michael McGreevy, Connie Musolino, and Fran Baum; Methodology: Michael McGreevy and Fran Baum; Formal analysis and investigation: Michael McGreevy; Writing – original draft preparation: Michael McGreevy; Writing – review and editing: Michael McGreevy, Connie Mussolino, and Fran Baum; Funding acquisition: Michael McGreevy, Connie Musolino, and Fran Baum; Resources: Fran Baum; Supervision: Fran Baum.

Data availability statement

Data gathered is kept on a secure server at Flinders University. The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Consent for publication

All authors consent to publication

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The greater project is funded by Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health, and the South Australian Government agency Wellbeing SA.

Notes on contributors

Michael McGreevy

Dr Michael McGreevy has a background in urban studies and urban planning. He is currently a research fellow at NUS Cities, National University of Singapore where he researches the relationship between urban complexity and systems resilience. Prior to this appointment he worked as a research associate/fellow at the Southgate Institute of Health, Society and Equity at Flinders’ University. He worked on two projects at Southgate, the Australian Research Council (ARC) funded project Understanding how the policies of Australian governments can promote health through action on the social determinants of health and health equity and the project Testing the feasibility of the rapid transition of Health in All (HiAP) ideas to create healthy urban environments, create health promoting health services and stem the non-communicable disease epidemic in the southern area of Adelaide project. On these projects he researched the links between urban development policy and practice and health and health equity with a particular emphasis upon Health in All polices (Hiap).

Connie Musolino

Dr Connie Musolino is a Research Fellow at Stretton Health Equity in the Stretton Institute, School of Social Science, University of Adelaide. She is an early career researcher with expertise in social science, gender studies and public health. Connie is currently a Research Fellow on the NHMRC Investigator Fellowship entitled ”Restoring the Fair Go: which policies and practices are likely to reverse growing health inequities in Australia post-COVID-19”. She is working across a range of projects examining health inequities, the social determinants of health, gender and health, health promotion and community health services, and civil society and social movements.

Fran Baum

Fran Baum AO is a public health social scientist and Director of Stretton Health Equity, Stretton Institute, University of Adelaide. She is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and of the Australian Health Promotion Association. She is a past National President and Life Member of the Public Health Association of Australia. She has authored over 400 publications including: The New Public Health (2016, Oxford University Press) and Governing for Health (2019 Oxford University Press) and co-editor of the Oxford Textbook of Global Public Health (2021).