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Liveability aspirations and realities: Implementation of urban policies designed to create healthy cities in Australia

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  • Lowe, Melanie
  • Arundel, Jonathan
  • Hooper, Paula
  • Rozek, Julianna
  • Higgs, Carl
  • Roberts, Rebecca
  • Giles-Corti, Billie

Abstract

Creating healthy, liveable cities is a common policy aspiration globally. However, little research has explored the capacity of urban policies to deliver this aspiration, or levels of policy implementation. This study aimed to develop policy-relevant indicators, to detect within- and between-city inequities in the implementation of Australian state government policy targets related to urban liveability. Seventy-three government policies were reviewed across Australia's four largest cities to identify measurable spatial policies that contribute to creating healthy, liveable neighbourhoods. Spatial indicators based on these policies were developed to assess and map levels of policy implementation at the metropolitan and sub-metropolitan level. Measurable spatial policies were identified for only three out of seven policy domains: walkability, transit access, and public open space. While there was significant variation between cities, policies were often inconsistent with evidence about how to achieve liveability. No Australian city performed well on all liveability domains. Even modest policy targets were often not achieved, and there were significant spatial inequities in policy implementation. With few exceptions, people living in outer suburbs had poorer access to amenities than inner-city residents. This study demonstrates the benefits and challenges of measuring urban policy implementation. Evidence-informed targets are needed in urban, transport and infrastructure policies designed to create healthy, liveable cities, to enable levels of (and inequities in) policy implementation to be assessed. Consistent standards for government spatial data would enable development of comparable indicators and cities to be directly compared.

Suggested Citation

  • Lowe, Melanie & Arundel, Jonathan & Hooper, Paula & Rozek, Julianna & Higgs, Carl & Roberts, Rebecca & Giles-Corti, Billie, 2020. "Liveability aspirations and realities: Implementation of urban policies designed to create healthy cities in Australia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:245:y:2020:i:c:s0277953619307087
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112713
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sugiyama, T. & Gunn, L.D. & Christian, H. & Francis, J. & Foster, S. & Hooper, P. & Owen, N. & Giles-Corti, B., 2015. "Quality of public open spaces and recreational walking," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 105(12), pages 2490-2495.
    2. Melanie Lowe & Carolyn Whitzman & Billie Giles-Corti, 2018. "Health-Promoting Spatial Planning: Approaches for Strengthening Urban Policy Integration," Planning Theory & Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(2), pages 180-197, March.
    3. Sallis, James F & Bull, Fiona & Burdett, Ricky & Frank, Lawrence D. & Griffiths, Peter & Giles-Corti, Billie & Stevenson, Mark, 2016. "Use of science to guide city planning policy and practice: how to achieve healthy and sustainable future cities," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 68652, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Francis, Jacinta & Wood, Lisa J. & Knuiman, Matthew & Giles-Corti, Billie, 2012. "Quality or quantity? Exploring the relationship between Public Open Space attributes and mental health in Perth, Western Australia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(10), pages 1570-1577.
    5. Badland, Hannah & Whitzman, Carolyn & Lowe, Melanie & Davern, Melanie & Aye, Lu & Butterworth, Iain & Hes, Dominique & Giles-Corti, Billie, 2014. "Urban liveability: Emerging lessons from Australia for exploring the potential for indicators to measure the social determinants of health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 64-73.
    6. Stafford, Mai & Cummins, Steven & Ellaway, Anne & Sacker, Amanda & Wiggins, Richard D. & Macintyre, Sally, 2007. "Pathways to obesity: Identifying local, modifiable determinants of physical activity and diet," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(9), pages 1882-1897, November.
    7. Hannah Badland & Melanie Davern & Karen Villanueva & Suzanne Mavoa & Allison Milner & Rebecca Roberts & Billie Giles-Corti, 2016. "Conceptualising and Measuring Spatial Indicators of Employment Through a Liveability Lens," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 127(2), pages 565-576, June.
    8. Ewing, R. & Schieber, R.A. & Zegeer, C.V., 2003. "Urban Sprawl as a Risk Factor in Motor Vehicle Occupant and Pedestrian Fatalities," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(9), pages 1541-1545.
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