A systems approach to local spatial planning

TRUUD PhD candidate Michael Chang is examining the local planning system to try and solve the mystery of why we create unhealthy living environments, even though we have known about the link between environment and health for many years. We asked Michael about his research and how he hopes it will be used. 

 

What are you working on?

My research is focused on the local spatial planning system and examining how and if taking a systems approach can better leverage actions to address the wider determinants of health. I am looking at the local plans that each local planning authority in England is required to produce and having a better understanding of the local planning system and its constituent parts as, what Lancet–O’Neill Institute Commission on Global Health and Law coined in 2019, a legal determinant of health.   

Why choose to work on local spatial planning systems?

In answering this question I had to go back to my initial PhD application back in 2021. There was and is still fast-evolving interest but more likely an on-going mystery as to why we are still creating unhealthy environments through local planning policies and decisions. We have known for many years about the relationship between the environment and people’s health, and to be honest the underlying evidence and research have not really changed, but in fact strengthened, thus putting forward a more compelling case for taking the right actions. So my research takes this assumed evidential position based on Public Health England’s 2017 spatial planning for health evidence review. Academics, parliamentary bodies, third sector special interest groups and increasingly the private sector now focus on unravelling the mystery of the current state of planning for health policy and practice. Many reasons have centred on the planning system and its positive/negative influence of on creation of healthy/unhealthy environments, in particular on local planning. At least for local plans, there wasn’t a wholesale health-focused examination, which is not surprising given the arguably fragmented nature of how the English local planning system operates.  

So with my PhD, I started with a proposition that myself and a couple of consultants in public health put forward in Public Health Spatial Planning in Practice: planning for health doesn’t and won’t happen by default. Being a strong advocate for planning for health, and as a planner working in a public health setting, it is natural that I focus on exploring the state of the planning system, planners and public health professionals to help shed some light on the mystery. But it may not be a mystery if the planning system can be explained through systems approaches in order for planners and public health professionals to make the best use of it to improve population health. In public health, systems thinking and taking a whole systems approach was taking off in particular when addressing complex challenges such as obesity and mental health. The TRUUD project and its predecessor is pioneering as it has already adopted cross-disciplinary and systems thinking to the issue so it was timely to start this rewarding stage in my career.

How is it progressing?

The research is progressing slowly but surely and things are ramping up this year as I begin to create, draw, identify and join up the metaphorical dots. As much as I can I am trying to demonstrate practical relevance and impact from my research activities by writing and publishing as I progress, it also means it has been hard to contain my enthusiasm and say ‘no’ to things. My task is made more challenging because it is a part time PhD while I hold a full-time job. But overall I think I am making good progress with the support of my supervisor, Dr Neil Carhart, and at least I made it through the first Annual Progression Review! 

But so far I am pleased to have ended my first substantive period of research in 2023 with a refined but evolving research framework that will inform and guide me. I have also completed local plans health census for England supported by a preprint protocol and set of results recently published in the Journal of Planning Literature, and expecting further mapping presentation of results through a collaboration with Dr Matt Hobbs. I am also moving into the world of systems approaches and a paper is under review in Planning Practice & Research with further investigations to come.  

What are your main tasks before completion? 

I am about a third of the way through, with the first stage mainly complete in terms of setting out a working research proposition, establishing a local planning baseline through the local plans health census and completing elements of analysis and geospatial mapping. The second stage will focus on a first dab into the world of systems thinking resulting in a series of papers and synthesis to form the foundation for the final stage of system working with local authorities to better understand their local systems approaches to planning for health.    

Who do you hope will use the findings?

The motto of my approach to the PhD is a pragmatic PhD both in terms of seeing limitations of a part time PhD as a strength and maximising alignment and embedding into my full–time work. The ultimate outcome of my PhD is to devise a framework to identify value points of interventions or leverage for local planning for health. I hope the findings on seeing the planning system as more than just a singular tool but as toolbox of opportunity. This will be useful for national and local policy makers and practitioners in local government to understand the current state of planning system. There are many entry or leverage points through the planning system to embed healthy planning thinking. There is a lot of commentary, assumptions and sometimes misinterpretation of planning so I also hope they understand there are factors beyond and within their control and that taking a whole systems and collaborative approach to pulling the right levers at the right time can make the most difference. Finally, I hope the findings also allow those working with the planning system to deliver health objectives to reflect on their professional contribution because tools are only as useful as the people who operate them.

How has TRUUD supported you?

TRUUD has provided the infrastructure for me to engage across the research teams and researchers where it is needed. It has been particularly useful and rewarding to observe the various work packages in action and their outputs. I hope in time that there will be clearer synergies between my research and the TRUUD project as well as making the most of combined research expertise and experience of the consortium.