Design for Health

Air Quality

Good air quality is a key for promoting respiratory health. The main sources of air pollution are area sources (dry cleaners, lawn mowers, etc.), mobile sources (cars, trucks, off-road equipment), and stationary sources (factories, power plants, etc.). These different sources produce different types of pollutants that can cause problems for respiratory health, cardiovascular health, and cancer treatment. Locating sensitive land uses in close proximity to polluting facilities or major roadways can raise health concerns for sensitive populations. Some pollutants tend to have a greater effect over an entire metropolitan area and others drop off fairly quickly away from the source.

Design for Health Materials:

Other Resources:

PowerPoint presentations
Web sites

PowerPoint Presentations:

The Role of the Built Environment in Supporting Active Living and Health: A Review of Research Findings (File is 13 MB. May take a few moments to open)
This presentation from Active Living By Design covers the findings from a variety of researchers. It is divided into three main sections: What is the built environment?; Effects of the built environment on behavior, natural environment, health, and society; and Active community environments and their impact on health.

Web sites:

MInnesota Pollution Control Agency - Air Quality Data: The air quality section of the MPCA's environmental dataaccess system allows visitors to access air monitoring and emissions data.
Center for Disease Control: Air Pollution and Respiratory Health
This part of the CDC web site contains a wealth of information.
Boulder Area Sustainability Information Network: Air Quality, Pollution, and Trees
This document is a great example of the role urban forests play in role in improving air quality.
European Research on the Indoor Environment
The Database on European Research on the Indoor Environment is moving its home but at present is still available. The free text or keyword searching features in the left menu give access to the data.
United Kingdom Department of Health
This organization produces a number of publications on air pollution and climate change, many downloadable from their site.
Environmental Public Health Indicators Project
This Centers for Disease Control-sponsored project creates a set of very important public health indicators. A work in progress the link above is to the lists of specific indicators in a number of topics. This link is actually quite hard to find on the web site. Indicators include potential sources for data. For a more general overview see: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/indicators/default.htm
InformeDesign
InformeDesign is a research and communication tool for designers. Its search engine provides research summaries on many health themes. Each article summary has the following elements: design issue, design criteria, key concepts, research method, limitations, and commentary.

Back to Resources Page

Back to Planning Information Sheets Home Page