Vulnerable Populations and the Built Environment

Key Points

• Vulnerability is a complex concept, potentially involving biological attributes such as age and disability; social constructs such as race, ethnicity, and poverty, and environmental exposures such as unsafe housing, incomplete transportation systems, and inaccessible buildings. A vulnerable population is one at elevated risk of suffering harm as the result of one or more of these or similar circumstances.

• All individuals have health vulnerabilities at some point in life—often due in part to community design decisions. Community and building design can be either a source of or a solution to these vulnerabilities.

• Built environment design choices that improve quality of life for one population often do so for many populations.

• Solutions to vulnerabilities must be identified and implemented collaboratively with the populations impacted.

• Universal design, a strategy that reduces or eliminates many vulnerabilities, is best implemented early in the design process, as retrofitting is usually difficult and expensive.

  A more complete understanding of populations and their vulnerabilities is crucial if health and design professionals are to address health threats effectively.