Review of the health effects of neighborhood renewal: Conceptual reflection, theoretical cognition and system construction

The practice of neighborhood renewal in Chinese cities has gradually shifted towards the spatial governance of existing neighborhood resources. Future research will focus on the comprehensive process of spatial governance, which includes monitoring spatial changes, planning and governing existing resources, evaluating governance performance, and tracking outcomes. This study responds to this paradigm shift from the perspective of the health effects of neighborhood renewal. By reviewing English literature on the relationship between neighborhood renewal and health, it reveals that health-oriented neighborhood renewal is a holistic initiative aimed at enhancing health-related physical, social, and economic resources within the neighborhood. It emphasizes the temporal and spatial evolution of various environmental elements throughout the life cycle of neighborhoods. The influence of neighborhood renewal on residents' physical and mental health and well-being is multi-stage, multi-path, subject-differentiated, and dynamic. Primary renewal environments impacting residents' health include housing, blue-green and activity spaces, infrastructure, catering facilities, medical facilities, and social and psychological environments. The study proposes a four-stage research framework to advance the theoretical development and practical innovation of health-oriented neighborhood renewal in China. This framework includes evaluating neighborhood renewal performance, identifying health effects, explaining influence mechanisms, and assessing the health impacts of renewal planning and policies.