The Built Environment and Its Relationship to the Public’s Health

The Legal Framework

Bibliographic Data

ID11034354
AuthorsWendy Collins Perdue (The authors are with the Georgetown University Law Center.), Lesley A Stone (The authors are with the Georgetown University Law Center.), Lesley Stone (Georgetown University), Lawrence O Gostin (0000-0001-5286-4044, The authors are with the Georgetown University Law Center.)
Year2003
Volume93
Issue9
Pages1390-1394
Publication date2003-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.93.9.1390
PMID12948949
OpenAlexW2165867468
LanguageEN
Citations received48
References cited14

The built environment significantly affects the public’s health. This was most obvious when infectious disease was the primary public health threat during the industrial revolution; unsanitary conditions and overcrowded urban areas facilitated the spread of infection. However, even today in the age of chronic diseases there remains an important connection between population health and the built environment. Physical spaces can expose people to toxins or pollutants and influence lifestyles that contribute to diabetes, coronary vascular disease, and asthma. Public health advocates can help shape the design of cities and suburbs in ways that improve public health, but to do so effectively they need to understand the legal framework. This article reviews the connection between public health and the built environment and then describes the legal pathways for improving the design of our built environment

Built environment · Business · Civil engineering · Environmental health · Political science · Public health · Public relations · Engineering · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Medicine · Nursing · Public Health Policies and Education · Smoking Behavior and Cessation