Supportive environments for health
Supportive environments for health offer people protection from threats to health and enable people to expand their capabilities to address the determinants of health. They encompass where people live, their local community, their home, where they work and play, including people’s access to resources for health, social norms and opportunities for empowerment.
Actions to create supportive environments for health have many dimensions, and may include: direct political action to develop and implement policies and regulations that help create supportive environments; economic action, particularly in relation to fostering sustainable economic development; and community action for health.
As defined in the World Health Organisation "Health Promotion Glossary of Terms 2021"
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- 35 Years of BREEAM and latest V7 mandatory update.
- A case study of adopting BIT-Kit: A method uncovering the impact buildings have on people.
- A measure of net well-being that incorporates the effect of housing environmental impacts.
- Airtightness of energy efficient buildings.
- BSRIA Briefing 2023. Cleaner Air, Better Tomorrow.
- Characteristics of buildings that impact wellbeing.
- Daylight benefits in healthcare buildings.
- Health and wellbeing impacts of natural and artificial lighting.
- Health and wellbeing at Kings Cross.
- Health promoting hospital.
- Health promoting schools.
- Healthy islands.
- Infrastructure for health promotion
- Indoor air quality
- Integrated modelling, simulation and visualisation (MSV) for sustainable built healing environments (BHEs).
- Nuisance smells.
- Odours in and around buildings.
- The design of extra care housing for older people and its impact on wellbeing: The East Sussex perspective.
- The daylight factor.
- The impact of the design of the Psychiatric inpatient facility on perceptions of Carer wellbeing.
- The real cost of poor housing.
- Transitioning to eco-cities: Reducing carbon emissions while improving urban welfare.
- The real cost of poor housing.
- Ubiquitous sensors to assess people’s energy consumption and wellbeing in domestic environments.
- Well-being and regeneration: Reflections from Carpenters Estate.
- Wellbeing and buildings.
- Wellbeing in Buildings TG 10/2025.
- Wellbeing and creativity in workplace design - case studies.
[edit] External links
Sundsvall Statement on Supportive Environments for Health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1991
Featured articles and news
A case study and a warning to would-be developers
Creating four dwellings... after half a century of doing this job, why, oh why, is it so difficult?
Reform of the fire engineering profession
Fire Engineers Advisory Panel: Authoritative Statement, reactions and next steps.
Restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster
A complex project of cultural significance from full decant to EMI, opportunities and a potential a way forward.
Apprenticeships and the responsibility we share
Perspectives from the CIOB President as National Apprentice Week comes to a close.
The first line of defence against rain, wind and snow.
Building Safety recap January, 2026
What we missed at the end of last year, and at the start of this...
National Apprenticeship Week 2026, 9-15 Feb
Shining a light on the positive impacts for businesses, their apprentices and the wider economy alike.
Applications and benefits of acoustic flooring
From commercial to retail.
From solid to sprung and ribbed to raised.
Strengthening industry collaboration in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Institute of Construction and The Chartered Institute of Building sign Memorandum of Understanding.
A detailed description from the experts at Cornish Lime.
IHBC planning for growth with corporate plan development
Grow with the Institute by volunteering and CP25 consultation.
Connecting ambition and action for designers and specifiers.
Electrical skills gap deepens as apprenticeship starts fall despite surging demand says ECA.
Built environment bodies deepen joint action on EDI
B.E.Inclusive initiative agree next phase of joint equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) action plan.
Recognising culture as key to sustainable economic growth
Creative UK Provocation paper: Culture as Growth Infrastructure.