摘要：The design of a community’s built environment influences the physical and mental health of its residents. Because few studies have investigated this relationship, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hosted a workshop in May 2002 to help develop a scientific research agenda on these issues. Workshop participants’ areas of expertise included physical activity, injury prevention, air pollution, water quality, urban planning, transportation, architecture, epidemiology, land use, mental health, social capital, housing, and social marketing. This report describes the 37 questions in the resulting research agenda. The next steps are to define priorities and obtain resources. The proposed research will help identify the best practices for designing new communities and revitalizing old ones in ways that promote physical and mental health. The design choices we make in our homes, schools, workplaces, communities, and transportation systems can have major effects on health, 1 which is defined by the World Health Organization as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” 2 A healthy community protects and improves the quality of life for its citizens, promotes healthy behaviors and minimizes hazards for its residents, and preserves the natural environment. Increasing evidence suggests that land-use and transportation decisions can facilitate or obstruct the creation and maintenance of healthy communities. The design of cities, neighborhoods, and individual buildings can affect levels of physical activity, 3 which is an important factor in the prevention of obesity and its associated adverse health consequences. 4 Community design influences the amount to which its residents are dependent on automobiles, whose use contributes to air pollution, motor vehicle crashes, and pedestrian injuries. 5 The design of the built environment affects the ability of persons with disabilities to be physically active and to be socially integrated into their community. 6 The mental health of individuals 7 and a community’s social capital 8 may be influenced by the design of the built environment. Environmental justice is also a concern because persons with low socioeconomic status may suffer disproportionately from the adverse consequences of transportation and land-use decisions in their communities. 9 Although some research has been done to document the specific interactions between the built environment and health, it is often conducted within one discipline, and results are typically not widely shared across disciplines. Community leaders and public health officials need to know more about which community design and land-use choices are most effective in improving the physical, mental, and social well-being of the public. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has collaborated with an interdisciplinary group of academic researchers, public health practitioners, and professional organizations to create a scientific research agenda that highlights areas in which further investigations are needed to improve our understanding of these issues.
