The health benefits of urban planning

From Cape Town’s pristine streets (which you’ll have plenty of time to admire while stuck in traffic) to Johannesburg’s unique blend of luxury and decay, South African cities have various pros and cons for the health and safety of their communities.

I often travel to South Africa’s major cities, and each one has its positives and negatives. Cape Town is clean, but the traffic is horrendous. Johannesburg and Durban are filled with signs of decay, but they have the outlying area advantages of Sandton and Umhlanga. We constantly hear about watershedding and service delivery issues impacting urban communities across the country.

The way in which urban areas function is crucial for dealing with the challenges of the environment, an ageing population, and an evermore vulnerable society. Indeed, it is common to read that more people have moved to cities in the last 40 years than ever before. Moreover, the foreseeable impacts of climate change, with their associated flooding and extreme weather events, may reduce quality of life.

The health of a city’s residents is shaped over the long term by the physical, economic, and cultural landscapes; by the education, health care, and child care services provided there; and by the opportunities people have to participate in social activities. Cities also have significant impacts on people’s health and life chances over shorter periods, especially during crises and disasters that may include economic recessions and depressions, wars, and environmental catastrophes. Building urban resilience is therefore crucial to protecting the health and safety of urban inhabitants. To meet these challenges, significant improvements in the built environment and management of the growing cities are required.

Community engagement and public participation in the urban planning process are core to the cross-cutting benefits of improving health and safety and preventing related issues. Involving members of the community is about effective communication, active listening, fostering a sense of community belonging and bonding, and engaging meaningfully and respectfully.

Ultimately, investments in health and safety through better urban planning depend on public and private sector leaders’ willingness to invest in a fair, just, and equitable process. Without broad participation in governance, it may be difficult to sustain constructive and collaborative relationships between residents and local government. 

Save the date

The 13^th Annual Saiosh International Health and Safety Conference takes place on 15 August 2025 at Century City in Cape Town. The conference has established itself as a crucial event for professionals and experts in the field of occupational health and safety (OHS) to exchange ideas and share experiences about the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in OHS. The 2025 Saiosh OHS Conference will be no exception; speakers will include a senior official from the Department of Employment and Labour, a professor from Nelson Mandela University, a specialist in occupational medicine, a member of the IOSH Presidential Team, an OHS legal specialist, a specialist in mental health, a motivational speaker, and more. Register now to secure your seat.