Understanding how to create healthier places: A qualitative study exploring the complex system of urban development decision-making

Anna Le Gouais; Geoff Bates; Rosalie Callway; Heeseo Rain Kwon; Lisa Montel; Sian Peake-Jones; Jo White; Md Nazmul Hasan; Caglar Koksal; Andrew Barnfield; Krista Bondy; Sarah Ayres

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103023

Understanding how to create healthier places: A qualitative study exploring the complex system of urban development decision-making

Anna Le Gouais, Geoff Bates, Rosalie Callway, Heeseo Rain Kwon, Lisa Montel, Sian Peake-Jones, Jo White, Md Nazmul Hasan, Caglar Koksal, Andrew Barnfield, Krista Bondy, Sarah Ayres

Institute for Policy Research (IPR)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (SciVal)

Abstract

Tackling complex system challenges like creating healthy environments requires understanding priorities and structures affecting multiple actors. This qualitative study, involving 132 multi-sectoral stakeholders spanning the urban development decision-making system, explores how to influence healthier place-making. Using thematic analysis we develop themes around competing stakeholder priorities; structural ‘rules’ and influential relationships; and justifying a focus on health, requiring greater clarity and consensus around definitions of ‘healthy’ urban development. Building on the socio-ecological model we highlight how a multi-faceted approach is required for change at multiple levels in the complex system to target individual actor motivations, organisational priorities and structural ‘rules’.

Original language	English
Article number	103023
Journal	Health & Place
Volume	81
Early online date	18 Apr 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103023
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 18 Apr 2023

Keywords

Public health
Urban
Qualitative
complex systems
Decision-making
Urban development
Environmental determinants
System
Population health

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Health(social science)
Life-span and Life-course Studies
Sociology and Political Science

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103023Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Le Gouais, A., Bates, G., Callway, R., Kwon, H. R., Montel, L., Peake-Jones, S., White, J., Hasan, M. N., Koksal, C., Barnfield, A., Bondy, K., & Ayres, S. (2023). Understanding how to create healthier places: A qualitative study exploring the complex system of urban development decision-making. Health & Place, 81, [103023]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103023

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abstract = "Tackling complex system challenges like creating healthy environments requires understanding priorities and structures affecting multiple actors. This qualitative study, involving 132 multi-sectoral stakeholders spanning the urban development decision-making system, explores how to influence healthier place-making. Using thematic analysis we develop themes around competing stakeholder priorities; structural {\textquoteleft}rules{\textquoteright} and influential relationships; and justifying a focus on health, requiring greater clarity and consensus around definitions of {\textquoteleft}healthy{\textquoteright} urban development. Building on the socio-ecological model we highlight how a multi-faceted approach is required for change at multiple levels in the complex system to target individual actor motivations, organisational priorities and structural {\textquoteleft}rules{\textquoteright}.",

keywords = "Public health, Urban, Qualitative, complex systems, Decision-making, Urban development, Environmental determinants, System, Population health",

author = "{Le Gouais}, Anna and Geoff Bates and Rosalie Callway and Kwon, {Heeseo Rain} and Lisa Montel and Sian Peake-Jones and Jo White and Hasan, {Md Nazmul} and Caglar Koksal and Andrew Barnfield and Krista Bondy and Sarah Ayres",

note = "This work was supported by the UK Prevention Research Partnership (award reference: MR/S037586/1), which is funded by the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, Health and Social Care Research and Development Division (Welsh Government), Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, Natural Environment Research Council, Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland), The Health Foundation and Wellcome. Data availability Data will be made available on request.",

year = "2023",

month = apr,

day = "18",

doi = "10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103023",

language = "English",

volume = "81",

journal = "Health & Place",

issn = "1353-8292",

publisher = "Pergamon",

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AU - Le Gouais, Anna

AU - Bates, Geoff

AU - Callway, Rosalie

AU - Kwon, Heeseo Rain

AU - Montel, Lisa

AU - Peake-Jones, Sian

AU - White, Jo

AU - Hasan, Md Nazmul

AU - Koksal, Caglar

AU - Barnfield, Andrew

AU - Bondy, Krista

AU - Ayres, Sarah

N1 - This work was supported by the UK Prevention Research Partnership (award reference: MR/S037586/1), which is funded by the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, Health and Social Care Research and Development Division (Welsh Government), Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, Natural Environment Research Council, Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland), The Health Foundation and Wellcome. Data availability Data will be made available on request.

PY - 2023/4/18

Y1 - 2023/4/18

N2 - Tackling complex system challenges like creating healthy environments requires understanding priorities and structures affecting multiple actors. This qualitative study, involving 132 multi-sectoral stakeholders spanning the urban development decision-making system, explores how to influence healthier place-making. Using thematic analysis we develop themes around competing stakeholder priorities; structural ‘rules’ and influential relationships; and justifying a focus on health, requiring greater clarity and consensus around definitions of ‘healthy’ urban development. Building on the socio-ecological model we highlight how a multi-faceted approach is required for change at multiple levels in the complex system to target individual actor motivations, organisational priorities and structural ‘rules’.

AB - Tackling complex system challenges like creating healthy environments requires understanding priorities and structures affecting multiple actors. This qualitative study, involving 132 multi-sectoral stakeholders spanning the urban development decision-making system, explores how to influence healthier place-making. Using thematic analysis we develop themes around competing stakeholder priorities; structural ‘rules’ and influential relationships; and justifying a focus on health, requiring greater clarity and consensus around definitions of ‘healthy’ urban development. Building on the socio-ecological model we highlight how a multi-faceted approach is required for change at multiple levels in the complex system to target individual actor motivations, organisational priorities and structural ‘rules’.

KW - Public health

KW - Urban

KW - Qualitative

KW - complex systems

KW - Decision-making

KW - Urban development

KW - Environmental determinants

KW - System

KW - Population health

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DO - 10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103023

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SN - 1353-8292

VL - 81

JO - Health & Place

JF - Health & Place

M1 - 103023

ER -

Understanding how to create healthier places: A qualitative study exploring the complex system of urban development decision-making

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Tackling the Root Causes of Unhealthy Planning, Economics and Decision-making: An Urban Systems Approach

Cite this

Understanding how to create healthier places: A qualitative study exploring the complex system of urban development decision-making

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Tackling the Root Causes of Unhealthy Planning, Economics and Decision-making: An Urban Systems Approach

Cite this