Green infrastructure and human health

Public health professionals share with urban planner, designers, and other disciplines an interest in creating conditions in which people can be healthy. However, the different professions tend to operate in “silos” and their efforts would be more effective if integrated to promote health and wellness at the community and neighborhood scales. The term green infrastructure is used by planners to define the critical role of natural systems – forests, farmland, open spaces, greenways, etc. – in sustaining human life. In cities, green infrastructure refers to a landscape network that connects the natural and built environments and provides multiple benefits for people and ecosystems (e.g., parks and trails, green roofs and streets, and the urban tree canopy). The health of a community is inextricably linked to the health of its environment, and a well-developed green infrastructure network can bring important public health benefits, particularly for underserved communities with poor health outcomes. This session will define green infrastructure, lay out concepts and applications relevant to human health, present case studies at the neighborhood and community scales, and explore implications for public health and other professionals to work together across disciplines. Concepts to be explored include “triple bottom line” (social, environmental, and economic) return on investment in green infrastructure and how improved health outcomes can be leveraged from this investment using a systems approach. Research from a variety of sources will be used to establish evidence-based linkages between green infrastructure and public health improvement.