THE INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT ECOLOGY AND HEALTH

摘要

The built environment (BE) affects ecosystems, ecosystem services and human healthand well being. While, formally, the BE ranges from the smallest hut to the largestcity, this chapter focuses upon the health effects of urban areas, which increasingly arethe preferred human habitat. Urban areas have many attractive and beneficialinfluences to human well‐being. But at the same time, many effects of urban areas areharmful to well‐being, and many are not even recognized as such. Most publicationsabout these topics have described the effects of the BE separately, on ecosystems on human health. The interconnectivity between these two effects relative to BE israrely studied. This paper focuses on the mutual influence and interactions betweenthree related aspects of the BE which can impact ecosystems human health:transportation, land use, and life style. It also explores some of the links between theBE, human health, and human security.