Healthy Built Environment

What is the built environment?

The built environment includes the human-made design and layout of the communities in which people live, work and play. Healthy built environments are places that are designed to support making healthy choices easier for everyone.

How does the built environment help you stay healthy?

Pedestrian safety

Paths for pedestrians and cyclists increase physical activity by promoting safe spaces for active transportation to occur.
Pedestrian crossings ensure safety from one path to another making it more likely people will choose active forms of travel.
Lighting along paths improves visibility to help keep pedestrians and cyclists safety.
Speed bumps and narrow streets are forms of "traffic calming measures". They help to slow down traffic and increase safety, making it more appealing to walk or cycle to where you need to go.

Parks and green spaces

Parks and green spaces can encourage social connection, relaxation, and exposure to nature for a positive effect on your mental health.
Trees provide shade cover and UV protection, reduce extreme heat in urban areas and improve air quality.
Benches along walkways support physical activity for all ages, allowing those who need to rest to sit down. This is a part of making a community age-friendly.

Local access to food

Local access to food including fresh produce and whole foods, through nearby farmers' markets, community gardens, and supermarkets (rather than convenience stores and fast food options) supports healthier diets and lower levels of obesity and chronic diseases.
What we choose to eat is directly influenced by what food is available and accessible in our communities.

Community gardens and farmers' markets

Community gardens and farmers' markets are healthy food sources in urban and rural areas that make it easier to eat healthy.

They also help to:

Make it easy to access fresh local produce.
Contribute to a sense of community.
Expose you to new vegetables and fruits.
Help the local food supply.
Make neighbourhoods more walkable.

There are a lot of community gardens and farmer’s markets throughout Durham Region.

Interested in buying locally grown fresh produce?

Find out where there may be a community garden near you.

Check out the Durham Farm Fresh website!

Trails and parks

Parks, Trails and Conservation Areas.

Check out the Durham Trails Guide!

The built environment makes a difference

Active travel is walking, cycling, rollerblading, skateboarding, or using manual wheelchair to get from one place to another (for example the store, school, or work). Active travel also helps to improve air quality by reducing car use.
Healthy communities are connected communities. When parks and paths are close and connected to where people live and work, it makes the choice to be active an easier one.
An age-friendly community is one that helps older adults stay active and healthy.

How to get involved and make a difference in your community

Our communities have a lot to offer to help us make the healthier choice the easier choice. However, we can continue to make it even better for all ages and abilities, by improving access to public transit, active travel opportunities, and healthy food sources.

Community input is important so that all members can share their needs. Actively participate in identifying solutions to continue making your community healthier.

Here’s where to start:

Be aware of opportunities to give input on plans that guide the design of your community. These plans guide how roads, sidewalks, parks, and neighbourhoods will be built and your feedback is valuable.
You can visit your local municipality’s website to learn about plans that are being updated and ways to provide feedback, whether through surveys or workshops.
Connect with your local municipality for public consultation opportunities.
Participate on a municipal or community committee.
Speak with your neighbours about community issues. Explore solutions together!
Get to know your community. Take transit, walk, carpool, wheel or cycle more often and use motor vehicles less.
Eat local, healthy food. Try buying fresh food at a farmer’s market.
Reduce your carbon footprint by conserving energy at home and on the road.