Changing Mindsets: A Developer’s Perspective on Prioritising Health in Urban Planning

Zoe Sharpe, Senior Development Manager, Dandara Living has been working with our Changing Mindsets team for the last 12 months, bringing her unique experience, insights and influence to aid our work to increase the prioritisation of health and health inequalities by professionals working in urban development.  Here she explains why she got involved and what’s she’s learnt as part of research collaboration.

 

Joining the Changing Mindsets intervention as part of the TRUUD project was an opportunity to deepen my understanding of how we embed health in urban development—and bring those insights back to my team. At the time, we were actively designing several schemes, so my involvement became a live talking point across the business and with our consultants.

I’ve always been curious about how academic research translates into real-world policy and delivery. Working with the TRUUD team offered a rare window into that process. It was reassuring to see that, as a business, we’re already considering health and equity—but it also underscored how important it is to keep doing so intentionally and consistently.

One key message I hope participants took from the workshops is that everyone has the power to influence healthier outcomes, even through small actions. Asking the right questions, advocating for walkable spaces, or prioritising daylight might seem minor, but collectively they shape better places and open conversations about what really matters.

There are still big gaps. We need clearer, more streamlined policy that sets out priorities and expectations. Incentivising healthier, high-quality design must be part of that. With government focused on reforming planning, this feels like the right moment to embed health more explicitly. The housing need is urgent and diverse – across market, rental, student, and later living – and health should be integral to all of it.

I enjoyed being part of the research process and very interesting to read the papers now being produced by the TRUUD team. After years of study, I didn’t think I’d ever be drawn back into academic reading, but being involved firsthand made the findings more engaging – and more relevant to my day-to-day work.

This experience has already changed how I operate. I’m asking different questions, thinking longer-term, and bringing health into early-stage discussions more confidently. For the research to keep resonating, I’d love to see it published more broadly – not just in academic journals, but in industry outlets too. Regularly updating TRUUD’s resources with best-in-class examples could help foster a culture of healthy competition.

Ultimately, Changing Mindsets reminded me that embedding health in planning isn’t a ‘nice to have’ – it’s essential.