‘Harnessing the power of the law’: a qualitative analysis of the legal determinants of health in English urban planning and recommendations for fairer and healthier decision-making
Abstract Background Urban environments impact negatively on the risks of non-communicable diseases and perpetuate health inequalities. Against this, law could play a critical role, notably through implementing and securing visions of health and well-being, and evidence-based interventions. Methods S...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-02-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15166-0 |
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| author | Lisa Montel |
| author_facet | Lisa Montel |
| author_sort | Lisa Montel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Urban environments impact negatively on the risks of non-communicable diseases and perpetuate health inequalities. Against this, law could play a critical role, notably through implementing and securing visions of health and well-being, and evidence-based interventions. Methods Seven teams conducted 123 interviews with 132 actors in urban planning in England. Teams had expertise in urban planning, transport, real estate, public health, public policy, administration, and management. An additional team with expertise in law analysed data from all interviews to explore how the law is perceived and used to promote health in urban planning. Results Six issues were identified as preventing actors from using the law to improve health in urban planning: (i) density and complexity of the law; (ii) weak and outdated regulatory standards; (iii) absence of health from legal requirements in the decision-making process; (iv) inconsistent interpretations by actors with competing interests; (v) lack of strong health evidence-based local planning policies; and (vi) inertia of the law. Conclusions The legal determinants of health listed in the Lancet-O’Neill Commission’s report need to be strengthened at the local level to effectively deploy law in English urban development. The findings call for strong, evidence-based local planning policies and decision-making frameworks, placing health as (one of the) core value(s) of urban planning and showing what types of development benefit health, i.e., prevent NCDs risks and reduce health inequalities on the long term. The legal capacity of local government should be strengthened to empower decision-makers in shaping urban development that promotes health for everyone. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:41:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c65646dc793349fcbc3838699ce1d374 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:41:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-c65646dc793349fcbc3838699ce1d3742023-02-12T12:25:16ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582023-02-012311910.1186/s12889-023-15166-0‘Harnessing the power of the law’: a qualitative analysis of the legal determinants of health in English urban planning and recommendations for fairer and healthier decision-makingLisa Montel0Centre for Health, Law and Society, University of Bristol Law SchoolAbstract Background Urban environments impact negatively on the risks of non-communicable diseases and perpetuate health inequalities. Against this, law could play a critical role, notably through implementing and securing visions of health and well-being, and evidence-based interventions. Methods Seven teams conducted 123 interviews with 132 actors in urban planning in England. Teams had expertise in urban planning, transport, real estate, public health, public policy, administration, and management. An additional team with expertise in law analysed data from all interviews to explore how the law is perceived and used to promote health in urban planning. Results Six issues were identified as preventing actors from using the law to improve health in urban planning: (i) density and complexity of the law; (ii) weak and outdated regulatory standards; (iii) absence of health from legal requirements in the decision-making process; (iv) inconsistent interpretations by actors with competing interests; (v) lack of strong health evidence-based local planning policies; and (vi) inertia of the law. Conclusions The legal determinants of health listed in the Lancet-O’Neill Commission’s report need to be strengthened at the local level to effectively deploy law in English urban development. The findings call for strong, evidence-based local planning policies and decision-making frameworks, placing health as (one of the) core value(s) of urban planning and showing what types of development benefit health, i.e., prevent NCDs risks and reduce health inequalities on the long term. The legal capacity of local government should be strengthened to empower decision-makers in shaping urban development that promotes health for everyone.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15166-0Legal determinants of healthStructural determinantsUpstream determinantsUrban developmentUrban healthLocal government |
| spellingShingle | Lisa Montel ‘Harnessing the power of the law’: a qualitative analysis of the legal determinants of health in English urban planning and recommendations for fairer and healthier decision-making BMC Public Health Legal determinants of health Structural determinants Upstream determinants Urban development Urban health Local government |
| title | ‘Harnessing the power of the law’: a qualitative analysis of the legal determinants of health in English urban planning and recommendations for fairer and healthier decision-making |
| title_full | ‘Harnessing the power of the law’: a qualitative analysis of the legal determinants of health in English urban planning and recommendations for fairer and healthier decision-making |
| title_fullStr | ‘Harnessing the power of the law’: a qualitative analysis of the legal determinants of health in English urban planning and recommendations for fairer and healthier decision-making |
| title_full_unstemmed | ‘Harnessing the power of the law’: a qualitative analysis of the legal determinants of health in English urban planning and recommendations for fairer and healthier decision-making |
| title_short | ‘Harnessing the power of the law’: a qualitative analysis of the legal determinants of health in English urban planning and recommendations for fairer and healthier decision-making |
| title_sort | harnessing the power of the law a qualitative analysis of the legal determinants of health in english urban planning and recommendations for fairer and healthier decision making |
| topic | Legal determinants of health Structural determinants Upstream determinants Urban development Urban health Local government |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15166-0 |
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