Biophilic design for walkable streets: Health-centred insights for urban action

March 17, 2026

How can we design walkable streets that promote health through nature?
This scoping review synthesises international and cross-cultural research—drawing from English and Chinese studies—to clarify intervention types and health mechanisms, offering an essential evidence base for healthier, more connected urban environments. Our findings reframe streets as inclusive, restorative spaces for health—not just transport infrastructure.

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The creation and testing of a street audit to assess barriers in urban streetscapes and areas for people with a visual impairment

March 7, 2026

This street matrix tool can be used by urban planners and other built professionals both to plan new streetscapes and also to assess exisiting streetscapes for improvement. Currently, in many global contexts, it is good practice to make areas accessible for all and complete street audits. Despite this, without background knowledge of visual impairment and other disabilities, it can be difficult to assess these challenges and provide adequate solutions. This street matrix makes this more accessible and easy to assess these areas.

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Walkability and Safety: How neighborhoods influence older people’s walking in Brazil

March 7, 2026

Walking around the neighborhood is good for older adults health, but the way older adults perceive their surroundings can affect this behavior. This topic has been discussed for some time in high-income countries. There, it is observed that older adults who live in neighborhoods with high residential density, diverse land use, good road connectivity, access to public transport, pleasant aesthetics, security against crime and traffic, presence of recreational facilities, infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, green spaces and visible parts of the sky are more likely to walk, whether for utilitarian or recreational purposes. On the other hand, in Latin American countries such as Brazil, where there is a significant increase in the older adults population and challenges related to urbanization and social inequalities, the relationship between the characteristics perceived of neighborhoods by the older adults and walking behavior is still unknown.

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A pragmatic all-inclusive method to uncover drivers of health in high-density apartment buildings

March 5, 2026

This research from Sydney shows the value of combining qualitative flexibility with systems thinking. Key contributions include: 1) Demonstrating how conversational, non-rigid methods reveal overlooked drivers of health and well-being. 2) Showing that human–environment systems perspectives add depth to urban health research. 3) Providing a never-before-used resident-centred approach for studying complex city living challenges.

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A framework to integrate health into urban climate policies: A city-level approach for better planning

March 5, 2026

Urban planning significantly impacts public health, yet health considerations are often overlooked in city development strategies. Climate change further exacerbates urban health risks, particularly in vulnerable regions. Despite growing recognition of the link between urban planning and health, cities lack structured methodologies to quantify and integrate health-related data into policy. Without systematic approach, cities struggle to identify disparities, allocate resources effectively, and create health-resilient urban environments. Addressing this gap is critical for sustainable urban development.

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