Center for Active Design: 2023 Reflections in Research

Dec 18

Insights from the Center for Active Design Experts

2023 in the Built Environment and Health

Whether it’s our “Spotify Wrapped” playlist or end of year employer review, December is a great time to reflect on what we’ve learned. In this month’s blog, we took a look back at the three research themes and trends we’ve noticed throughout the year, and what we’ve learned as we turn toward 2024.

A busy morning on the streets in Vietnam.

Braving the Elements

In the study of interactions between the built environment and health, no topic brought more discussion or concern this year than climate change. Floods stranded thousands of music festival goers in Nevada, wildfires raged across Hawaii and Canada — leading to smoky air all the way in New York City, and the UN declared this year the hottest year in recorded history for the Northern Hemisphere. And these examples are only a small portion of the climate-related destruction our world faced this year. While the environmental impacts alone are devastating, so too are the human health consequences. While COVID-19 made all of us aware of the important role indoor air plays in our health, the unexpected wildfire haze on the east coast sparked new concerns about the safety of outdoor air. Research revealed that, wildfires or not, only .001% of the global population has had healthy exposure levels to outdoor PM2.5 in the past two decades. Rising temperatures also impact our health, as we know from our earlier post on heat, and this fall, a study revealed that if global temperatures continue to rise at their current pace, over 4 billion people will experience heat waves with wet bulb temperatures beyond the limit of human survival. These concerns were strongly reiterated at COP28, the annual climate change meeting for United Nations countries, held this month in Dubai. In the words of the research community in response to the conference, ”climate change is increasingly impacting the health and survival of all people worldwide” The publication noted the increases in people affected by extreme droughts, heatwaves, food insecurity, and life-threatening infectious diseases this year as a consequence of our warming planet. Fortunately it isn’t all doom and gloom — this year scientists created a white paint that can cool buildings and November’s AI for Good summit highlighted innovative ways AI technology is helping to combat climate change. We can expect climate change to remain a top priority in the new year, making it a great time to review the small but impactful ways we can all work to mitigate its effects in our homes and communities (see our blog posts here and here).

Staying Connected

While health professionals have been worried about the mental health and social costs of the COVID-19 pandemic isolation protocols for some time, this year’s surgeon general's report called it out most profoundly and explicitly. The report, which sent reverberations across the health and research communities, called our current times an “ongoing epidemic of loneliness and isolation,” revisiting the startling statistic that loneliness has a similar impact on mortality to smoking 15 cigarettes a day — an impact stronger than that associated with obesity and a lack of physical activity. Another study out of MIT this year built on these findings, using smartphone data to conclude that not only are we more isolated, but the social interactions have become more insular as a result of the pandemic. The study concludes that by the end of 2021, the “diversity of urban encounters” across cities, or the likelihood that someone of one socioeconomic class would go to a new neighborhood and interact with someone who had significantly higher or lower income, had dropped by 30%. Research continually shows that those who are socially connected live longer than those who are isolated, and are more resilient in the face of personal and collective crises. As many companies opt to stay fully remote, especially as cold weather blankets much of the northern hemisphere, it is essential that we all find ways to stay socially connected. Employers and building owners can support this effort through civic engagement opportunities, on-site programming, and the provision of social support groups — all Fitwel strategies that support increased social connectivity and improved mental health. As highlighted in the surgeon general’s report,both individually and as communities, we all have opportunities to prioritize social connection and build a collective culture of connectivity as we head into the new year.

Getting Active

To end on a more positive note, the third key theme of 2023 was around physical activity and active transportation. New detailed research emerged this year supporting the links between physical activity and both mental and physical health outcomes. While the social consensus has long been that 10,000 steps per day are needed to move the needle on health, new research this year shows that even as little as 3,000 steps per day can positively impact our health. While more is always better, this has sparked a slew of research reiterating the significance even small movements can have for our physical health: stair climbing can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 20%, and small choices like active commuting can significantly impact subjective health and body mass index. Research also expanded the connection between physical activity and mental health outcomes. Earlier this year, in the largest meta-analysis study of its kind, researchers revealed that exercise has a powerful impact on depression– suggesting that even moderate exercise routines are as effective as medication and therapy for people diagnosed with major depressive disorder. The authors went so far as to recommend exercise as a prescribed treatment among practitioners, marking a major shift in the treatment landscape. These impacts only strengthen the call for safe and inclusive pedestrian and biking infrastructure, which we know is not equitable across neighborhoods. Considering the impact active commuting has not only on our health, but on our climate, we can expect to see equitable safe street and bike infrastructure as an urban planning priority in the coming years.

Looking Ahead

While many of us were excited to move out of emergency pandemic times this year, 2023 definitely brought its own set of challenges. Although the themes highlighted above may feel daunting and overwhelming, they also bring to mind the simple things we can all do to help foster the change we want to see. Choosing to walk to work, especially with a colleague or friend, can have tremendous impacts on our health and the planet. Getting outside and staying active offers opportunities for social interaction, directly addressing our social, mental, and physical health needs. Moreover, heartening developments in built environment interventions to help mental and physical health — from solar reflective paint to on site programming to increase community connectedness — can help us feel optimistic about our capacity to innovate. Despite the overwhelming nature of the crises we face, this year’s research highlights exemplify the power healthy and inclusive environments have to impact our lives. We are excited to see what 2024 will bring!

Article contributed by Grace Dickinson, MPH, MUP, Fitwel Ambassador, Associate Director of Applied Research, Center for Active Design

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