ReviewThe Lancet. Global health2022
City planning policies to support health and sustainability: an international comparison of policy indicators for 25 cities.
Review in The Lancet. Global health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 49 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
49 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The effectiveness of new urban trail infrastructure on physical activity and active transportation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of natural experiments.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2025Pooled it
- The use of Virtual Reality (VR) to assess the impact of geographical environments on walking and cycling: a systematic literature review.International journal of health geographics · 2024Pooled it
- A systematic review on the associations between the built environment and adult's physical activity in global tropical and subtropical climate regions.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2024Pooled it
- City design for kidney health.Nature reviews. Nephrology · 2026Article
- Walkability, Mobility-Related Neighborhood Built Environment Characteristics, and Adolescent Obesity in Urban Areas of Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review.Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine · 2026Review
- Poverty-modulated tree equity shapes health burdens across U.S. cities.Environmental science and ecotechnology · 2026Article
- The Relationship Between Urban Characteristics and Non-Communicable Diseases-Conceptual Framework of the HORUS Project.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Urban greenspace and dementia: Measures, mechanisms, and methodological guidance.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Review
- Air pollution, urban environmental quality and health expenditures: evidence from industrial cities in Iran.BMJ global health · 2026Article
- Environmental sanitation satisfaction and associated factors among residents from National Sanitary Cities.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Climate change: a critical time for respiratory health.Respiratory research & clinical practice · 2026Review
- Expert perspectives on exposure-response functions for urban health policy: Lessons from a UBDPolicy workshop.Environmental research · 2026Review
- Differences in the microenvironment for leisure physical activity and commuting in São Paulo.Revista de saude publica · 2026Article
- Out-of-home activities motivating older adults' participation in the community.International journal of health geographics · 2025Article
- The Health Survey of São Paulo - ISA-Physical Activity and Environment Longitudinal Study.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Advancing equitable and sustainable urban health.Nature medicine · 2025Review
- An empirical study of 15-minute fitness circles and the health of Chinese older adults-based on the mediating effect of physical activity.International journal for equity in health · 2025Article
- Municipal officials' perspectives on challenges and opportunities in shaping urban built environments for active living in Thailand: a qualitative study.BMJ global health · 2025Article
- Article
- Air pollution interventions for health.Nature medicine · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
31 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
City planning policies influence urban lifestyles, health, and sustainability. We assessed policy frameworks for city planning for 25 cities across 19 lower-middle-income countries, upper-middle-income countries, and high-income countries to identify whether these policies supported the creation of healthy and sustainable cities. We systematically collected policy data for evidence-informed indicators related to integrated city planning, air pollution, destination accessibility, distribution of employment, demand management, design, density, distance to public transport, and transport infrastructure investment. Content analysis identified strengths, limitations, and gaps in policies, allowing us to draw comparisons between cities. We found that despite common policy rhetoric endorsing healthy and sustainable cities, there was a paucity of measurable policy targets in place to achieve these aspirations. Some policies were inconsistent with public health evidence, which sets up barriers to achieving healthy and sustainable urban environments. There is an urgent need to build capacity for health-enhancing city planning policy and governance, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.