A Spatially-Informed Healthy Location Index for Assessing Urban Living Environment
Urban health outcomes are shaped by the complex interplay of environmental, social, and spatial factors. This study develops a Healthy Location Index (HLI) to assess spatial health risks by integrating health-promoting (HPSVs) and health-restraining (HRSVs) spatial variables using geospatial analys...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
European Association of Geographers
2025-04-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Geography |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eurogeojournal.eu/index.php/egj/article/view/786 |
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| Summary: | Urban health outcomes are shaped by the complex interplay of environmental, social, and spatial factors. This study develops a Healthy Location Index (HLI) to assess spatial health risks by integrating health-promoting (HPSVs) and health-restraining (HRSVs) spatial variables using geospatial analysis and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Taking Kolkata, India, as a case study, the HLI incorporates factors such as green and blue spaces, built-up density, air quality, and the distribution of alcohol and fast-food outlets to create a spatial model of urban health. The study utilizes remotely sensed and administrative datasets (e.g., Landsat-derived NDVI, NDBI, NDWI, Point-of-Interest data) and validates the HLI against COVID-19 containment zones (June 2020–January 2021) using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results indicate that areas with high HLI scores—characterized by greater access to green spaces and lower exposure to environmental stressors—were less likely to be containment zones, suggesting a meaningful relationship between spatial health factors and urban resilience. However, the study acknowledges potential confounding variables, such as socioeconomic disparities, population density, and healthcare accessibility, which may influence health outcomes. The findings underscore the global applicability of the HLI framework in urban planning, public health policy, and epidemiological risk assessment, offering a scalable model for cities facing rapid urbanization and environmental challenges.
Highlights:
• Proposed a scalable HLI framework with global implications for urban planning and targeted health interventions.
• Validation using COVID-19 containment zones and ROC analysis, demonstrating the utility of HLI in predicting health-risk areas.
• Policy implications for global urban planning and health interventions, emphasizing the need for improved green space access and environmental risk mitigation.
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| ISSN: | 1792-1341 2410-7433 |