Healthy Built Environments
The built environment refers to ‘people-made’ characteristics such as buildings, parks, schools, transportation systems and other infrastructure that are used on a daily basis. The built environment, through its design and use, can positively or negatively impact health and safety.
A built environment lens or set of questions (see below link) can be applied to any planning and development process. It can help initiate discussion, focus dialogue and facilitate further inquiry. It can also maximize consultation, as time is not spent formulating questions but rather exploring the relationship between the built environment and health and providing informed input to enhance health outcomes.
For more information about the lens, contact John Stark, Senior Social Planner, City of New Westminster, at or Alex Kwan, Environmental Health Officer, Fraser Health, at .