Promoting active design - by David Piscuskas

March 07, 2017 - Owners Developers & Managers
David Piscuskas, FAIA, LEED AP, AIA New York and 1100 Architect
Over the course of the past decade, there’s an ever-expanding community of architects, design professionals, urbanists and planners, community leaders, municipal leaders and members of the public working together toward a common goal of designing and building in ways that contribute to healthy living. Through AIANY’s partnership with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, our annual Fit City conference and the Active Design Guidelines, we explore how design decisions address the key health epidemics of our time: obesity and related chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, and asthma. The relationship between the design of buildings, streets, neighborhoods and health is no longer a matter of speculation. Thanks to over a decade of research since our original Fit City conference, we know that there is a direct connection between the design of the built environment and physical, social, and mental health outcomes. In addition, a multitude of successful design projects serve as case studies that demonstrate how design can be used to promote health in unique community contexts. Features such as facilities for physical activity, well-designed stairs that encourage everyday use, infrastructure to support walking and biking and free, and low-cost programming to support resident health are now becoming more prominent throughout the city. A recent study conducted by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, compared the health of residents in Arbor House—a 124-unit building with active design elements in the South Bronx—with residents in a building without active design features. After one year of living in Arbor House, residents in the study reported a significant increase in stair use, with a 53% decrease in the number of individuals who reported not having walked up any flights of stairs per week. On average, 58% reported an increase in the number of flights they ascended per week; 20% of residents increased the number of flights in the control building. In addition, focus group participants reported that the building and feeling of safety truly supported and promoted the active pursuit of health and wellness. Affordable housing like the Arbor House represents an essential typology for addressing the needs of populations with some of the greatest health risks. Low-income communities continue to face a disproportionately higher burden of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and asthma. In many low-income and minority communities, it is difficult to find resources such as safe, walkable streets, well-maintained playgrounds and recreation spaces, or access to healthy food. As we continue elevating the awareness of our members and our constituents of active design, we should be collaborating with community stakeholders, developers and policymakers to push these efforts forward. As the 2017 president of AIA New York, I’ve asked our community to engage several challenges, including that we open ourselves as individual and collaborative professionals, and as a community, to better connect our service with the people that we serve. Finally, I’ve asked that we assemble often and state affirmatively the values and principles we believe in as a community of professionals and citizens concerned about the quality and livability of our communities in New York. David Piscuskas, FAIA, LEED AP is the 2017 president of AIA New York and the founding partner at 1100 Architect, New York, N.Y.  
Thanks for Reading!
You've read 1 of your 3 guest articles
Register and get instant unlimited access to all of our articles online.

Sign up is quick, easy, & FREE.
Subscription Options
Already have an account? Login here
Tags:

Comments

Add Comment