Healthy Place Shaping

Healthy Place Shaping is about creating communities where it is easy to be healthy.

Find out more about Healthy Place Shaping (HPS) in Oxfordshire.

This webpage provides the guidance and intelligence to enable projects to meet local policy expectations, validation requirements and support the delivery of local health objectives. You will also find links and downloads for local indicators related to Healthy Place Shaping.

If you are planning to assess the health impact of a proposed development, please use the Oxfordshire HIA toolkit and data contained within the JSNA to understand the health and wellbeing needs of the local population to identify how a scheme might impact on local needs. Such assessments will need to consider how any development will impact on and seek to reduce health inequalities, for further information please access the Oxfordshire Local Area Health Inequalities Dashboard.

Page last updated 13 October 2023. If you need accessible versions of these documents or any other help finding data on Oxfordshire please email jsna@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Built environment

The following provides intelligence on key environmental indicators and hazards to be considered when planning healthy, vibrant and sustainable communities. It includes but is not limited to the following indicators and priorities.

Download: Built environment indicators for Healthy Place Shaping slide deck (October 2023)

List of indicators:

Air pollution (NOx)
Air pollution (particulates)
Housing and health
Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure plans
Communities with 20 mph speed limit

Explore: access to local services using the Oxfordshire 20 minute neighbourhood tool

Community activation

Community activation is the process of enabling people to obtain the health and wellbeing benefits of assets in their local community, both hard assets such as parks and soft assets such as local community groups which offer social interaction.

Community activation aims to enable people to make healthy decisions in terms of physical activity, healthy eating and social connection and to enjoy the benefits of belonging to a thriving community. It particularly focuses on working with local community groups to engage residents who may experience greater barriers to enjoying a healthy lifestyle.

Urban Design can support, enhance or negatively impact on the levels of community engagement and cohesion, that greatly influence health, wellbeing and community integration and resilience. The following section provides information and local examples that can inform, influence or inspire design features or target social value initiatives extending through planning and well into delivery.

Download: Community activation indicators for Healthy Place Shaping slide deck (October 2023)

List of indicators:

Sense of belonging
Number of cycling and walking activation initiatives that promote inclusion
Volunteering or community participation in the last 12 months
Adults who feel lonely often or always or some of the time Oxfordshire 2019/20

New models of care

Access to health services was traditionally associated with the provision of a GP surgery on a site. However new models of care in both the NHS and social care are focused on promoting prevention, increasing self care so that individuals take greater control over their mental and physical health and have less need for formal services. Urban design can significantly influence and support this approach by creating a health enabling built environment.

Download: New models of care indicators for Healthy Place Shaping slide deck (October 2023)

List of indicators

People supported by social prescribing
People in contact with the Make Every Contact Count programme

Wellbeing outcomes

Download: Wellbeing indicators for Healthy Place Shaping slide deck (October 2023)

List of indicators:

Wellbeing: people with a high anxiety score Oxfordshire trend to 2021/22
Wellbeing: people with a low happiness score Oxfordshire trend to 2021/22
Physically active children and young people Oxfordshire trend District Comparison 2021/22
Physically inactive adults Oxfordshire trend District Comparison 2021/22
Adults walking for travel at least 3 days per week Oxfordshire trend to 2021/22
Adults cycling for travel at least 3 days per week Oxfordshire trend to 2021/22
Adults (aged 16 plus) meeting the '5-a-day' fruit and vegetable consumption recommendations Oxfordshire trend to 2021/22
Overweight children - reception (aged 4-5) prevalence of overweight (including obesity) Oxfordshire trend to 2021/22
Overweight children - year 6 (aged 10-11) prevalence of overweight (including obesity) Oxfordshire trend to 2021/22
Overweight adults - percentage of adults (aged 18 plus) classified as overweight or obese Oxfordshire trend to 2021/22

Explore: local level (within Oxfordshire) health indicators see Oxfordshire Local Area Inequalities Dashboard