TCPA healthy place making publications

Introducing 20-Minute Neighbourhoods

The 20-Minute Neighbourhood (2021)

The idea of the ’20-minute neighbourhood’ (also known as 15-minute cities) has grown with interest around the world, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the importance of the liveability of where we live.  

Another way of describing a complete, compact and connected neighbourhood, where people can meet their everyday needs within a short walk or cycle, the idea of the 20-minute neighbourhood presents multiple benefits including boosting local economies, improving people’s health and wellbeing, increasing social connections in communities, and tackling climate change.  

The TCPA with Sport England have been working with partners including Sustrans, Design Council, Fields in Trust, CLES and others to look at how the idea could be introduced in the context of the English planning system.  

Produced in collaboration, this introductory guidance document on the 20-minute neighbourhood is for local planning authorities and outlines a set of principles for success with case studies from across England.


Reuniting Health with Planning

Getting Research into Practice (2021) 

Local Plans and policies – including neighbourhood plans – should be informed by good evidence, including evidence about the health of the local community. However, planners and neighbourhood planning groups are often unsure where to find relevant public health evidence, or how to use it. The TCPA and UWE were commissioned by Public Health England to create a suite of practical resources to help them find and use health evidence.

Click here to find out more and download the free resources. 

Putting Health into Place (2016-2019) 

From 2016-2019 NHS England supported the development of ten ‘Healthy New Towns’, large-scale communities designed to be easier for people to live healthier lives, and in which health care is provided in ways that meet 21st century health needs.

The TCPA, in partnership with the King’s Fund and the Young Foundation, was commissioned by NHS England to create a series of practical guides to healthy place-making, based on what was learned by the Healthy New Towns programme.

The State of the Union: Reuniting Health with Planning (2019)

This report provides a picture of the effectiveness of collaboration between the planning, public health and healthcare sectors.

Developers and Wellbeing Project (2018)

This report explores how we can encourage a consensus between the public and private sector about the need to build and sustain high-quality, healthy places.

Public Health in Planning: good practice guide (July 2015)

This guide brings together existing guidance on the planning process and highlights good practice examples of working relationships between public health and planning. 

Reuniting health with planning: Planning healthier places report (2013)

This report provides case studies of joint working between health and planning teams and presents a series of recommendations. 

Reuniting health with planning: How planning and public health practitioners can work together to implement health and planning reforms in England (2012)

This handbook was prompted by the Government’s reforms to the planning system and health and social care. It is targeted specifically at planners and public health specialists with suggestions of ways to work together. 

Spatial planning for health guide (2010)

This guide promotes the positive application of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) as an evidence-based tool that can be used by planners and policymakers.


Healthy-weight environments

Building the Foundations: tackling obesity through planning and development (March 2016)

This document sets out the learnings from a series of workshops held with planning and public health teams who are tackling obesity and planning for healthy weight environments. 

Planning healthy-weight environments (December 2014)

A practical resource for practitioners to use when working together to enable the creation of healthy-weight environments by setting out a framework of 6 Planning healthy weight environment elements

Planning healthy-weight environments – the six elements (December 2014)

A graphic promoting the six elements underpinning the planning of healthy-weight environments.


TCPA Journal Special Editions

Town & Country Planning #healthyplanning Special Edition Journal (November 2016)

Town & Country Planning Journal Special Edition ‘Reuniting Health with Planning’ (2014)


Northern Ireland

Delivering Sustainable Healthy Homes and Communities in Northern Ireland (March 2016)

Belfast Healthy Cities ‘Reuniting Planning and Health’ capacity building resource (July 2014)


Wales

Planning for health and well-being in Wales: A briefing on integrating planning and public health for practitioners working in local planning authorities and health organisations in Wales (November 2016)