Neighbourhood density for better Heart Health: translating Research evidence into practice
The National Heart Foundation of Australia’s (Heart Foundation) paper Designing for density – Delivering healthy, higher-density neighbourhoods in Australia provides the latest evidence on the heart health benefits of compact, walkable and green cities. Higher density 15-minute cities with well-connected street networks, mixed land uses, proximate destinations, green and blue spaces, and active transport infrastructure enhance liveability and promote activities supportive of heart health. Walkability is key: urban and transport planning must be designed and delivered in ways that promote active travel and reduce car dependency in established and new urban environments. To increase support for higher residential density, practitioners should work with communities to demonstrate associated benefits, including reduction in socio-economic inequalities.
Authors
- Melanie Lowe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9703-1895)
- Xiaoqi Feng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3421-220X)
- Amanda Alderton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4598-2381)
- Chris De Gruyter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5069-3018)
- Nicole Edwards (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0924-5384)
- Jerome N. Rachele (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5101-4010)
- Manoj Chandrabose (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5311-3020)
- Rebecca A. Reid (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8911-5861)
- Lucy Gunn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9309-3626)
- Alexandra Kleeman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5324-2631)
- Thomas Astell‐Burt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1498-4851)
- Sarah Alexandra Foster (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8624-4908)
- Billie Giles‐Corti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0102-0225)
- Joelie Mandzufas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4236-1384)
- Neville G. Owen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2784-4820)
- Anna Gurnhill (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4712-4340)
Institutions
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Population Council (IN)
- Royal Children's Hospital (AU)
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute (AU)
- The University of Western Australia (AU)
- The George Institute for Global Health (GB)
- National Heart Foundation of Australia (AU)
- Westmead Hospital (AU)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Victoria School of Management (CH)
- RMIT University (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Urbanism International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability
- Published
- 2026-08-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/17549175.2026.2709369
- Primary Topic
- Urban Transport and Accessibility
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Australian Research Council