The built environment includes the physical makeup of where we live, learn, work, and play. It involves homes, schools, sidewalks, and open spaces. It also includes transportation options. The built environment can impact overall community health and individual behaviors (CDC, 2024).
Why is this important?
Healthy People 2030 says that the community impacts health and well-being. Where people are born, live, learn, work, worship, and age affect their quality of lie. In the United States, many people are dealing with the following:
• High rates of violence
• Lack of internet connection
• Unsafe or a lack of access to sidewalks, places, and green spaces
• Unsafe air or water
• Other health and safety risks such as secondhand smoke or loud noises
Interventions and changes on a local, state, and national level can help. They can build lasting, successful change in all communities.
What is known?
The built environment is made up of but not limited to:
• Neighborhoods, homes, buildings, and other infrastructures
• Workplaces
• Food systems (agriculture, land cover, and land use)
• Internet access
• Sidewalks and bike paths
• Green spaces, parks, and playgrounds
• Transportation options
Who is at risk?
• Individuals with medical conditions
• People who lack proper housing or live without insulation or cooling
• Residents with high levels of air pollution
• People living in areas with high agriculture and transport. This affects people with limited access to food
Reduce your risk:
It may be hard to invest in or change the built environment at a local level. But there are ways to advocate for a sustainable future. This includes:
• Advocating for climate action
• Educating people about the dangers on air pollution
• Attending and buying from local farmers markets. They advocate for food security
• Investing in solar panels to turn the suns energy into electricity
Resources: