Transition to a healthy living environment
As a society, we face various challenges in the areas of climate, sustainability, urbanisation, livability and mobility. But also in terms of health, cohesion, and broad prosperity. People with a socioeconomic disadvantage are disproportionately affected. Within the Health Transitions innovation area, we create a grip on the integral coherence between health, behavior and living environment by connecting health effects and challenges in the living environment together with municipalities, provinces, and private parties.
Health and living environment
Inequality of opportunities regarding health and life expectancy is largely determined by the environment. Vulnerable people often live in homes and neighborhoods with low living quality. On the one hand, there is a direct impact of an unhealthy living environment on health. For example, an increase in disease burden is related to air pollution. On the other hand, the spatial context influences our behavior (exercise, nutrition), which in turn contributes to health.
Linking spatial challenges & vulnerable residents
In our view, greening and the energy and mobility transition are 'coupling opportunities' for health (inequalities). People with a low socioeconomic status often live in neighborhoods with few green spaces and thus have a health disadvantage. A proper approach to greening offers an opportunity to reduce health inequalities. Attention must also be paid to vulnerable citizens in housing sustainability and sustainable and smart mobility.
Want to learn more?
Would you like to know more about the relationship between health, behavior and the living environment of people with a low socioeconomic position? Download the paper 'Healthier Living Environments, Healthier Citizens' (in Dutch).
Integral approach for a healthy living environment
To get a grip on the integral coherence between health, behavior, and living environment, we focus on three important pillars:
1. Shared vision and orchestrating collaboration
How do we ensure a joint perspective on health from multiple domains and transitions? An approach from multiple domains and transitions automatically necessitates collaboration. A clear vision and agenda mobilise and combine knowledge, resources, and involvement from different domains and enable stakeholders to come to integrative solutions.
In this project for ERA4Health, we work in European research collaboration and co-creation with residents to understand and influence health inequality regarding obesity. To this end, we map the complex interaction of determinants within the obesity system, focus on structural policy choices to prevent obesity and health inequality, and evaluate the adoption and implementation of these policy actions.
In the study "Healthy Urbanisation Brabant", conducted by Het PON&Telos, PosadMaxwan, and TNO on behalf of De Gezonde Brabander, we provide an illustrative answer to the question of how Brabant (City) can ensure a healthy (physical) living environment. And how they can relate health promotion to other urban challenges, such as climate change, energy transition, livability, accessibility, and the new environmental policy.
How will South Holland become the healthiest province in the Netherlands by 2040? This question is central to an extensive study conducted by the province together with TNO and Posad. The report (in Dutch) provides an overview of trends and developments and four storylines, focused on movement, greenery, inclusivity, and environmental factors such as noise and air quality.
2. Data-driven approach
How do we gain insights from data about the coherence between health, behavior and environment? Data plays an important role in supporting and substantiating an integral approach. By bringing together data from different domains, insight is gained into how (the accumulation of) challenges interact with each other and with health.
From the introduction of the Environmental and Planning Act, health is becoming more prominent on the municipal agenda. What is physical and mental health, and how to improve it through new urban or transformation projects? DILaN, the dashboard for an integrated and livable neighborhood, addresses these questions and helps municipalities weigh their choices from a health perspective and make decisions.
Collaboration between TNO and the municipality of Tilburg: How can we link health to ‘Area perspective Groenewoud’ using data?
3. Together with residents
How do we involve residents in decision-making, change and evaluation? An integral approach requires active involvement of residents. Involvement is not only important to create support but is also necessary to truly understand where and how environmental challenges affect health and socioeconomic differences.
Social cohesion is an important factor for health and livability in neighborhoods and districts. In the report "Spatial Design for Social Cohesion (pdf)" (in Dutch), we describe what social cohesion is and how factors in the physical and social design of space can influence social cohesion. We conclude with a step-by-step plan to incorporate social cohesion into the policy and design of spatial interventions in public spaces.
Increasingly, public and private parties involve their target groups in the development of interventions, measures, products, services, and methods. They hope that target group participation will increase the chances of support, adoption, and implementation. In the "Handreiking Doelgroepparticipatie (pdf)" (in Dutch), TNO provides guidelines for meaningful and systematic collaboration with the target group.
Let's collaborate
TNO is happy to work with interested parties on the further development and implementation of interventions and policies for a healthy integral living environment. Is your organization interested? Curious about what we can mean for each other? Let us know.
Contact us
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Bas Kremer
Functie:Business Development Manager-
Standplaats:Leiden - Sylviusweg
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Email:Email Bas
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Marloes van der Klauw
Functie:Senior Consultant Orchestrating Innovation-
Standplaats:Leiden - Sylviusweg
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Email:Email Marloes
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Geiske Bouma
Function not known-
Standplaats:Den Haag - New Babylon
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Email:Email Geiske
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