Life in modern cities could become healthier if there was more careful planning, experts will argue today.
Ireland is hosting its first International Health Impact Assessment (HIA) conference in Dublin Castle, and the event will detail how all government plans should be tested for their impact on public health.
The conference, entitled "Healthy Public Policy - Is Health Impact Assessment the Cornerstone?" is being hosted by the Institute of Public Health and will discuss examples from Britain, Europe, the United States and Asia.
Health impact assessment is where a project is judged on the potential effects on the health of a population, with a view to encouraging decision-making that benefits public health.
The Institute of Public Health in Ireland has called for major policies and plans across all sectors - including transport, education and construction - to be more systematically assessed in terms of their potential impact on health.
While some HIAs have been carried out in Ireland, there is no obligation to carry them out on policies or development plans.
PA