There is no planning without public health, according to a new guide released in a moment of global crisis for both professional fields.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) recently published a guide to integrating planning and public health.
"The sourcebook, Integrating Health in Urban and Territorial Planning, is designed to guide decision makers from the public health, urban and territorial planning sectors including planners, city managers, health professionals and others towards developing cities planned and built with a focus on human and environmental health," according to the WHO website that announces the publication and makes the guide available to the public.
"The sourcebook offers a comprehensive variety of resources, including frameworks, entry points, guidance and tools, as well as specific case studies illustrating recommended approaches to bring together planning and public health," according to the article.
Dr. Maria Neira, director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health at WHO, is quoted in the announcement with strong words about the need for planners to prioritize public health: "If the purpose of urban planning is not for human health," asks Dr. Neira, "then what is it for?”
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