Quality of Life Foundation has released new guidance, Design Codes for Health and Wellbeing, which has been developed in partnership with the TCPA, along with Tibbalds, TRUUD, and Henley Business School, with support from UDL. It provides practical advice for embedding health and wellbeing into the design coding process, ensuring that places support healthier lives for everyone.
Why design codes matter
Design codes set expectations for the design of buildings, spaces, and places. They help create high-quality developments by providing a structured framework that planning authorities, developers, and communities can use to shape future growth. By prioritising health and wellbeing within design codes, we can:
- Address local health priorities through better urban design
- Reduce health inequalities by improving access to green space, active travel, and healthy food
- Create certainty for developers and decision-makers, ensuring that health-focused placemaking becomes standard practice.
Who is this guidance for?
Design Codes for Health and Wellbeing is designed for planners, developers, local authorities, public health professionals, and community groups involved in shaping the built environment.
It sets out a policy framework and practical principles for incorporating health into design codes, complementing existing national guidance on placemaking.
‘The places where people live have a profound influence over their health, so it is vital that homes and neighbourhoods are designed to be healthy. The TCPA welcomes this very practical and timely guide to creating design codes for health and wellbeing.’
Click here to access the guide on the Quality of Life Foundation website.
