Importance of healthy liveable cities

Key messages

• Australia does not have sufficient policies to deliver healthy and liveable communities. Our research showed that people value walkability and liveability, and we created indicators for measuring these, however urban policies are not always implemented in local communities.
• Planning policies and infrastructure are needed to help avoid disadvantage being suburbanised, and we developed advanced simulation modelling tools to explore the outcomes of urban interventions. This provides evidence when advocating for better policies, health and liveability.
• We found that house prices are higher in more walkable neighbourhoods. These inequalities have financial and health impacts, especially for those of lower socioeconomic background.
• We examined several possible interventions, including how the 30-minute city might best be achieved. Cycling offers more potential than walking, but investment in cycling infrastructure coupled with education programs are critical to influence uptake.
• Developing further advanced simulation modelling can inform policies and assist with infrastructure planning. For example, investigating whether increasing access to public transport leads to more walking, and whether this is enhanced when population increases are allowed in strategic areas.

What next?

Planning policies must be implemented that address inequities in the built environment and create liveable, healthy communities for all. Further advanced simulation modelling, using more detailed local data and virtual populations, can inform policy and provide more cost-effective solutions.

Given the potential for cycling to achieve the 30-minute city, recommended starting points are to prioritise separate cycle paths within 5 km of train stations, activity centres and high schools, and to create opportunities for safe cycling within 2 km of primary schools.