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
Check out some of the best features and news from Designing Buildings as well as key stories from around the web.
Recognition, influence and growth
SocEnv identifies three strategic pillars in new strategy to 2045.
Discover the future of roofing, cladding and insulation.
New guidance for professional practice, cultural change and regulation in social housing.
The heritage of nuclear and conventional power stations.
New measures to stop people being ripped off
Government to protect families from cowboy builders and aggressive bailiffs.
New Futurebuild showcase brings an innovation-first approach.
National Planning Policy Framework
Understanding the 2026 changes.
ECA's public affairs priorities
Member consultation opens to shape priorities for 2027 to 2030.
Dutyholder responsibilities from 1 July 2026.
Where performance meets practice
The Building Envelope Stage at UKCW Birmingham.
CIAT publishes briefing on planning reforms.
Leaders in Learning for Practice Network
Call for conservation leaders in learning to register interest in new network.

















