New design guidance to ensure housing developments create healthier communities has been launched.
Building for a Healthy Life, published by Design for Homes and Urban Design Doctor, means that local health and care needs will need to inform new masterplans.
The design toolkit covers the priorities for creating healthier communities, such as improved walking, cycling and public transport links, with reduced carbon emissions and better air quality.
The new guidance replaces Building for Life 12 and has been backed by Homes England.
David Birkbeck of Design for Homes said: ‘Building for a Healthy Life works best as the starting point for getting developers, local authorities, communities and other stakeholders to agree on key aspects of a design, such as how new development?will connect to existing communities and how people will be able move between the two.
’Its general focus has not changed significantly, other than to promote the idea of walking and cycling more short journeys. But?the use of images helps explain the desired for outcomes and help everybody identify shared objectives.’
