From associations to action: Parametric urban design science for cardiometabolic health

The built environment influences cardiometabolic health by impacting behaviours and environmental exposures. However, the current focus on identifying associations between static built environment measures and cardiometabolic health outcomes has limited practical relevance for urban design. Current approaches fail to capture the spatial complexity of urban environments or provide actionable guidance for urban design. In this paper, we discuss how parametric urban design can offer a paradigm shift in the ability to link the built environment with cardiometabolic health research. It can break down fixed built environment measures into spatially specific parameters and account for interdependencies among built environment measures. This shift moves beyond only investigating correlations and can generate evidence directly relevant to urban design practice. This paper identifies parametric urban design advantages and outlines future steps for its application in research on the built environment and cardiometabolic health. • This paper critiques association-based studies in urban health research. • Fixed built environment measures lack spatial relevance for design practice. • Parametric design offers a pathway to actionable urban health interventions.