In England, ten new housing developments are earmarked to be built with not just numbers, but also healthy living in mind, under an NHS scheme.
A combination of clinicians, designers and technology experts will work together to create the “healthy new towns”. Plans propose homes that have virtual access to GP services, safe green spaces to play, as well as fast-food-free zones around schools.
Simon Stevens, head of NHS England, commented that the push for affordable housing across the country meant a “golden opportunity” for the NHS to assist town planners to promote health and keep people living independently.
“As these new neighbourhoods and towns are built, we’ll kick ourselves if in 10 years’ time we look back having missed the opportunity to ‘design out’ the obesogenic environment, and ‘design in’ health and wellbeing,”
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