What is the built environment? Discuss the characteristics of a good community design that
successfully promotes environmental health. Include in your discussion transportation
options, environmental pollution sources, and exposure. How is social justice achieved in
community planning?
Characteristics of Good Community Design That Successfully Promotes Environmental Health
According to Ngosong (2015) built environment is a phrase that refers to the diverse
practice, including design, technology, law, economics, and management. However, scientists
have a broad understanding of the term, which has undergone some changes relative to different
discipline or areas. It has resulted in the emergence of diverse definitions for the built
environment from areas such as public health, landscape architecture, and social science.
A good community design should be in a position to safeguard environmental health.
Pedestrian and motor vehicle injuries are related to some environmental factors such as traffic
congestion and road design. Besides, the pedestrian and driver behaviours are an outcome from
such factors (Dannenberg et al., 2003). A good community should incorporate traffic calming
strategies and other trail and road designs that consider potential conflicts between motorists,
bicyclists, and pedestrians which results in a reduction in collisions of motor vehicles and
injuries.
A great community design should prevent toxic conditions that are likely to result in an
increase in mortality and morbidity, such as cancer and chronic respiratory illnesses. The
illnesses are often triggered with factors including atmospheric pollutants, both outdoor and
indoor, grass seeds, and pollen. The exposure to indoor pollutants is considered to be a
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD COMMUNITY DESIGN 2
significant cause for asthma (Dannenberg et al., 2003). Outdoor pollutants, including respiratory
particulate matter and ground-level ozone, also enhance incidences for asthma.
Community planning plays an integral role in driving social justice. For instance,
community planning promotes issues of community development while enhancing a context for
peace that aims to cut down poverty among disadvantaged communities. Community planning
plays an essential role in facilitating communities to become aware of the rights of human
protection (Gormally, 2013). Besides, community planning enhances social justice through the
formation of community-driven advocacy plans.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD COMMUNITY DESIGN 3
References
Dannenberg, A., Jackson, R., Frumkin, H., Schieber, R., Pratt, M., Kochtitzky, C., & Tilson, H.
(2003). The Impact of Community Design and Land-Use Choices on Public Health: A
Scientific Research Agenda. American Journal of Public Health, 93(9), 1500-1508.
Retrieved 2 March 2020, from.
Gormally, S. (2013). A Social Justice Approach to Community Development [Ebook]. Semantics
Scholar.
Ngosong, T. (2015). The Built Environment Discipline and its Research at Doctoral
Level [Ebook]. University of Salford. .