Urban and housing design has intimate connections to health. Poor design choices can worsen health, with underlying issues of inequality a driving factor.

Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family.”

This includes housing, food, clothing, medical care, social services, and security if events beyond a person’s control affect their livelihood.

Researchers have shown that adequate housing has intimate links to a person’s physical and mental well-being.

According to the Executive Summary of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Housing and Health GuidelinesTrusted Source, poorly designed housing can increase the risk of trips, falls, injury, isolation, and stress for older people or people with disabilities.

Further, insecure or unaffordable housing can exacerbate stress. Housing that is too hot or cold or exacerbates indoor air pollution can cause respiratory and cardiometabolic issues.

Crowded housing or housing with a poor water supply can increase the spread of infectious diseases.

Speaking to Medical News Today, Robert Huxford, Director of the Urban Design Group, London, said that questions around the relationship between health and urban or housing design have a long history.

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