This interdisciplinary unit addresses relationships between places (i.e. housing, workplaces, schools, healthcare facilities, neighbourhoods, cities, natural ecosystems) and population health. The unit will examine the spectrum of health issues from traditional concerns (e.g. air pollution, water quality, chemical hazards, injury) to contemporary issues (e.g. food security, physical activity, mental health, social capital) and emerging challenges (e.g. climate change and planetary boundaries). Australian and international comparisons will be made. Policy settings and program approaches for creating more healthy and sustainable places will be analysed in detail. Evaluation techniques and performance measurement will be applied to public health outcomes in built and natural environments.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Understand the impact of environments on human health at a range of scales and from a variety of disciplinary perspectives;
2. Use systems thinking methods to explore the dynamics of human settlement patterns and identify leverage points for intervention;
3. Evaluate strategies for healthy and sustainable place making, including community development, behaviour change, and policy and legislative approaches;
4. Critically analyse different policy and planning responses within Australia and from other nations to the case for more healthy and sustainable places; and
5. Identify future challenges in the broad field of healthy and sustainable place making.

Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology

Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.