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Synonyms

Community Health; Urban Quality of Life

Definition

Urban health reflects the outcomes of the physical and the social environment that impact residents’ and communities’ well-being and quality of life, within an urban setting. The physical and built environment (urban structures, infrastructure, and spaces) may affect health, especially if there are issues with water quality, sewage, or air pollution. The urban environment also presents benefits to health through open, green, and recreational spaces. Social determinants of health influence a resident on a personal level. For instance, economic and social problems are stressors affecting housing, food, and access to health care. The state of urban health varies depending on the specific context in which a city is located and financed. Urban health issues in North America or Europe are not too different from those issues in Asia and Africa but may vary in extent and scale.

Description

Urban space is a major arena where society...

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Correspondence to Thomas Wuerzer .

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© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Wuerzer, T. (2014). Urban Health. In: Michalos, A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_3127

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_3127

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-007-0752-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-0753-5

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