The World Health Organization started to emphasize the intersectional of health and urban planning years ago. In 2020, The World Health Organization and UN-Habitat have released a resource book “Integrating Health in Urban and Territorial Planning,” aiming to guide decision makers in the various sectors including public health, urban planning and other related sectors to prioritize human health in urban planning. The sourcebook provides a variety of resources, including frameworks, guidelines and case studies, and tools for health assessment, analysis and data evaluation. It emphasizes the need to consider health into urban planning processes and the role of planning in achieving the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The resource book discusses the health threats posed by urban and territorial planning, such as overcrowding, inadequate access to clean water and sanitation and air pollution. It emphasizes the importance of considering potential health issues in urban planning, especially when modern cities are now expected to house 70 per cent of the global population by 2050. Equity is a key consideration as well because health opportunities and outcomes vary within and between urban areas.