PlanET Health Cymru (Planning for the Environment, Transport and Health in Wales) is an information portal for professionals working in a range of sectors on cross-cutting issues associated with the environment and health.
Planet Health Cymru provides a ‘one stop shop’ to aid collaborative working, detailing key information, tools, documents and examples of current practice for use by practitioners working in planning, transport, urban design, development, architecture, public health as well as anybody who has a responsibility in improving the nation’s health.
There is increasing evidence being published on the relationship between the design and development of the built and natural environment and health. Measures are being looked at to promote and create environments that encourage the support of physical activity, healthy eating and wellbeing to improve the nation's health.
In recent years, it has become increasingly apparent that:
“Health and built environment professionals urgently need to come together to meet the challenges of increasing levels of obesity and the cost of treating related chronic diseases. We are seeing unprecedented levels of investment in our built environment, but greater cross-departmental working by national government, along with better coordination between primary care trusts and local authorities, will be essential if we are to make the most of the unique opportunity this presents.”
(Briefing on Physical Activity and the Built Environment, CABE, October 2006)
