Ireland 2040 Summary & Briefs Chapter 3
People’s Health & Well-being
Welcome to today’s Ireland 2040 chapter Summary. Chapter 3 refers to how we link the built environment with the people who live in it.
Today’s chapter quote:
“The built environment is an important determinant of health…How we ‘make’ places can have a huge influence on people’s health and wellbeing.” (p.17)
The consultation paper cites the Healthy Ireland Survey of 2015 that showed in general in Ireland people’s health was good or very good and that key elements were social connectedness and wellbeing. (Note: Healthy Ireland Survey of 2016 is now available).
Socio-economic status is referred to and it is accepted that poorer people tend to live in poor quality built environments and this leads to poor mental health. Education levels, employment and housing must also play major roles in the Health & Well-being part of this next National Planning Framework (NPF) to 2040.
The ‘indoor lifestyles’ that a lot of Irish people tend to live with the lack of exercise leading to health challenges such as obesity, heart issues, and depression will be addressed in the NPF. It acknowledges that planning must play a part to avoid increased evidence of poor quality health. This will have to address social isolation and attempt to provide the capacity to lead active, healthy lives.
The ageing population, statistics of which were presented in yesterday’s chapter summary, will pose an enormous challenge and this will need to be given strong consideration.
Also presented in yesterday’s statistic list was the element of household size which by 2040 will be 2 people per household. There will also be an increase in Irish people living alone. 2015 data for the EU28 showed that the most common type of living arrangement was 33%. In Ireland that figure stands at 22% but the trend is showing increases.
Transport is addressed in this chapter – not from the point of view of infrastructure – but examining how people move around the country. Currently the following is the case:
- 2 million cars in Ireland
- 10% of workers spend over an hour commuting to work
- This is especially the case for the Dublin commuter counties
- 69% use cars to get to work
The above lead to the requirement of city businesses to provide car-parking facilities. The use of cars in such a widespread manner has led to out-of-town shopping and has undermined towns and city centres. It has also led to people living in more dispersed areas.
The elements that must be considered in Ireland 2040 from the point of view of linking health and wellbeing to place are:
- Location, density, mixed land use
- Walking and cycling routes
- Street layout
- Green space
- Sports facilities
- Public transport
People must have exposure to the natural environment to maintain good mental health and spatial planning has a key role:
- Social cohesion
- Healthy lifestyles
- Community cohesion and integration
- Joined up investments
- Planning
- Health
- Transport
- This should be sustainable and active travel as opposed to cars
What is needed are new homes, additional local jobs, quality of life and sustainable communities which will lead to better health and wellbeing outcomes. Elements of rural decline is touched upon but this will be addressed in more detail in Chapter 4.
Key Questions for Chapter 3
- Are we prepared to make changes now so that a ‘healthier places’ legacy can be handed over to the next generation of Ireland’s citizens?
- What policies can the NPF include to effect improvements to our general health including physical and mental over the next 20 years?
- Are there key priorities that the NPF can identify to ensure better health and wellbeing of people and places?
- Are there facilities that the NPF needs to highlight for places in order to enable greater participation in a healthier life-style?
Chapter 4, A Place Making Strategy, will be summarised in the continuation of our blog summary series on Monday February 20th.