Form-Based Code project:  Land use and public health

Traditionally, land use regulations sought to enhance public health primarily through segregating harmful industrial uses from residences. As the number of industrial activities has decreased, the need for this land use segregation has been reduced. However, the traditional separation of land uses has contributed to new public health concerns such as increased rates of heart disease, diabetes, and asthma.

The connection between health and land use is also understood in terms of how the built environment can affect lifestyle choices and individual health. King County's Land Use, Transportation, Air Quality and Health (LUTAQH) study, now called Healthscape, determined that land use patterns can play a key role in improving public health. For instance, by creating walkable neighborhoods that increase physical activity, a Form-Based Code can have a positive effect on public health as well as on other areas, such as climate change, air quality, and food choices.

The following studies and articles provide more information on the connection between the land and public health:

• SR 520 Health Impact Assessment, PDF* (3MB), Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and Public Health - Seattle & King County
• Art of Health Promotion, PDF* (609KB), published by American Journal of Health Promotion
• "The effectiveness of urban design and land use and transport policies and practices to increase physical activity:  A systematic review," PDF* (192KB), Journal of Physical Activity and Health
• "Public Health roots of zoning," PDF* (189KB), American Journal of Preventive Medicine
• "How Green is Your Neighborhood?," Time magazine (external link).

Additional information can also be found on the Public Health - Seattle and King County Web site, or contact Kadie Bell, Environmental Public Health Planner, at 206-263-8446 or e-mail kadie.bell@kingcounty.gov.