Evidence on Healthy Places - Born in Bradford

Why do healthy places matter?

In the UK, most people (85% of us) live in cities, so making sure cities are healthy places to live is important. Clean air, good quality housing, access to parks & green spaces, public transport, access to shops, arts and cultural opportunities, schools and health services all make a difference to our physical and mental health. Unfortunately, some areas have more unhealthy environments which means people living in these areas can experience poorer health.

By improving urban places, we have an opportunity to improve the health of communities in the most need.

Latest evidence on healthier places

Born in Bradford hosts a range of studies exploring how environments influence our health and wellbeing, including Healthy Urban Places, BiB Breathes, ATHLETE and more. Our research has examined factors such as air pollution, physical activity, transport, and other exposures in our local surroundings.

Explore some of our key findings below.

Air Quality

• Environment and Climate Change data note

This data note explores new findings on teenagers’ perceptions of air quality, climate change, and local environment.

For parents: Executive Summary
For schools: School Brief

• Air Quality: Pollution and Health Findings in a Nutshell

• Communicating With Diverse Communities About Pollution and Health

• Reluctant acceptance: Implementation and contextual factors influencing the acceptability of a low emission zone in a UK urban setting

Greenspace, urban environments and place

• Green Space and Health: Evidence and Interventions

• How to make a healthy city: Evidence and recommendations to maximise health co-benefits of urban regeneration

• High streets, health and wellbeing: Built environment evidence across time from two UK cities

• Building healthier and sustainable cities: A scoping review to establish the cost-effectiveness of place-based interventions

• Children’s Happiness and the School Route: Linking Perceptions of the Built Environment to Wellbeing

• Making Children-Friendly Streets: Lessons learnt from Bradford District’s School Street Schemes

• Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Findings in a Nutshell

Transportation, active travel and regeneration

• What do we know about transport in Bradford? Evidence Safari Pack

• Routes to Opportunity: Voices of Bradford’s Young people on transport, wellbeing and opportunities

• Theory of Change for the new Bradford train station: Interactive Theory of Change

• Read about our approach to creating a multidisciplinary approach to creating a theory of change

• The effect of a School Street intervention on children’s active travel

• Urban Health Solutions: Expert consensus on need to improve public transportation, green spaces, cycle routes and indoor air