The built environment are those aspects of our environment that are human modified such as homes, schools, workplaces, parks, industrial areas, farms, roads and highways. The challenges related to the built environment pertain to transportation, urban sprawl, air pollution, city planning, and diminishing natural resources. Additionally, there is increasing evidence that where we work and live affect our health yet casual relationships between the built environment and specific human illnesses are often difficult to establish.
Improving public health aspects of the built environment that would ultimately help decrease obesity, cardiovascular disease, and asthma while improve mental health are potential benefits of living in sustainable communities. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is working to develop a research agenda focused on the public health and quality-of-life benefits of sustainable communities and the built environment. |