The environment in which people live is an important determinant of health.  Across Canada the impact of the built environment is being increasingly recognized.  Virtually every element of a community – including its roads, streets, sidewalks, parking lots, transit, stores, libraries, parks, trails, workplaces, schools, and homes contribute to its urban form.  Opportunities for exercise and recreation; access to healthy food; the quality of water, soil and air; availability of jobs; and the existence of social networks are all aspects of the environment that can have an impact on health.

Topics covered within this chapter include:

• Sprawl and physical inactivity
• Transportation
• Social capital, sprawl and mental health
• The urban heat island effect

The Health of Cities (PDF 10 pages, 1.64MB)

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Table of contents:

• Table of Contents (PDF 50KB, 1 page)
• Executive Summary (PDF 378KB, 4 pages)
• How to Read this Report (PDF 120KB, 1 page)



• What is Public Health? (Chapter 1)
• Determinants and Disparities (Chapter 2)
  * revised
• Risk Factors (Chapter 3) * revised
• Who Lives in Peel region?
  (Chapter 4)
• How Healthy are the Residents of Peel? (Chapter 5)
• Reproductive and Perinatal Health (Chapter 6)
• Heart Disease and Stroke (Chapter 7)
• Cancer (Chapter 8)
• Lung Disease (Chapter 9)
• Injuries (Chapter 10)
• Dental Health (Chapter 11)
• Mental Health (Chapter 12)
• Infectious Disease (Chapter 13)
• The Health of Cities (Chapter 14)
• Focus on Overweight, Obesity and Diabetes (Chapter 15)
• The Physical Environment (Chapter 16)
• Health Services (Chapter 17)
• Preventing Chronic Disease (Chapter 18) * revised
• Data Analysis Issues and Next Steps (Chapter 19, PDF 261KB, 2 pages)
• Acknowledgements (Chapter 20, PDF 113KB, 1 page)
• Data Sources and Limitations (Chapter 21, PDF 611KB, 10 pages)
• Data Methods (Chapter 22, PDF 883KB, 11 pages)
• Text References (Chapter 23, PDF 1.09MB, 19 pages)
• Data References (Chapter 24, PDF 111KB, 1 page)