Do sustainable suburbs create happy and healthy residents?

Researchers at the University of Canberra are investigating if sustainable suburbs that care for the environment are making people healthier and happier as well. Using the suburb of Crace as a case study, they will assess whether the design of suburbs can have long-term benefits for the health and wellbeing of their residents.

“Crace, which had its first release of homes in 2009, was designed to be attractive and safe and to promote getting out and about, engaging in fun activities, social interaction and sustainable living,” said the study’s leader, Léan O’Brien. “Current thinking is that these design features will also have long-term benefits for the health and wellbeing of residents, which The Crace Study will test.”

Professor Helen Berry, who leads the university’s healthy and sustainable communities research program, said projects like these are rare but in growing demand.

“The Crace Study is part of a growing international effort to understand how to build our cities in a way that keeps people healthy and happy,” Professor Berry said, noting that policymakers and international bodies like the World Health Organization are watching the study closely.

The study began in 2012 with an initial survey of 277 people and is planned to continue for at least five years. The second wave of data will be collected in a survey opening later this month.

Responses to the first survey suggested Crace residents were physically active, well connected with their neighbours and engaged with community events. Subsequent stages of the study will look for improvements in the health and wellbeing of residents as the suburb develops.

Crace Project Director Malcolm Leslie said the vision for Crace was always “to create a suburb which was different by the very nature of its design, with an urban core at its centre surrounded by suburban homes … At the heart of this vision has been a commitment to developing and supporting the growing community at Crace.”

Leslie said the findings from the first study have provided “invaluable insights into our residents and their quality of life at Crace” and he encourages all residents to participate in the next survey to help the community grow and thrive.

Dr O’Brien and colleagues hope the findings will be informative at regional, national and international levels.