Studies | The Positive Impacts of Wellness Real Estate Communities
A number of wellness lifestyle real estate projects have measured and documented their positive impacts on residents.
Health & Wellbeing Impacts of Wellness Lifestyle Real Estate: Findings from Some Early Studies:
Gallup Active Living Study
48 COMMUNITIES IN U.S.
Residents of communities that score highest for “active living environment” (walkability, bike-ability, public transit, parks) have:
Significantly lower rates of smoking, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and depression.
Significantly higher rates of exercise, healthy eating, and fresh produce consumption.
RESIDE Study
73 COMMUNITIES IN AUSTRALIA
For every 10% increase in a new housing development’s compliance with “Liveable Neighborhood” design standards, residents were:
53% more likely to walk in their neighborhood.
40% less likely to feel unsafe from crime.
14% more likely to have better mental health.
Mariposa
COLORADO, U.S.
3 years after the project’s launch:
Total crime rate decreased from 248 to 157/1,000 people.
38% of residents said their health had improved.
Smoking rates dropped by 6%.
Mueller
TEXAS, U.S.
As compared to their previous neighborhoods:
65% of residents increased their physical activity.
48% said their health improved.
84 minutes less spent in a car/week.
Increased social interactions with
neighbors.
Stronger feelings of neighborhood
cohesion.
Arbor House
NEW YORK, U.S.
58% of residents reported increasing stair use.
Increased feelings of safety that supported residents’ pursuit of health and wellness.
BedZED
GREATER LONDON, U.K.
84% of residents feel the community facilities here are better than in their previous neighborhood.
65% know more neighbors than in their previous neighborhood.
Residents know an average of 20 neighbors by name. The regional average is 8.
Berkeley Group
6 COMMUNITIES IN U.K.
As compared to benchmark neighborhoods, Berkeley residents reported:
Greater feelings of safety.
Greater feeling of belonging to the neighborhood.
Higher rates of talking regularly to their neighbors.
Higher likelihood of staying in their neighborhood.
Selandra Rise
VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
As compared to previous neighborhoods, residents were more satisfied with:
– Opportunities to meet people.
– Walking amenities & parks.
41% attended a social event or activity here in the last year.
42% increased their physical activity after moving in (but 24% decreased physical activity).
Stockland
40 COMMUNITIES IN AUSTRALIA
6/10 residents feel healthier since moving in.
63% are doing more exercise.
2/3 of residents have made new friends.
75% feel like they are part of a community.
Average personal wellbeing score (79%) is higher than national average.
SOURCES:
Arbor House
New York,
United States
Center for Active Design (2017). Advancing Research on Active Design. https://
centerforactivedesign.org/evaluating-active-design-housing.
Claflin, A., Asri, N., Agarwal, R., and Nienaber, S. (2017, January 26). Policy Brief:
Understanding the Impact of Active Design in Affordable Housing: Insights
for Policymakers and Developers. New York City: Center for Active Design.
Garland, E., Baban, K.A., Garland, V., Bey, G., and Sanchez, S.H. (2014). One
Step at a Time Towards Better Health: Active Design in Affordable Housing.
Environmental Justice, 7(6), 166-171. https://doi.org/10.1089/env.2014.0031.
BedZED
Greater London,
United Kingdom
BioRegional and Peabody (2009). BedZED Seven Years On: The impact
of the UK’s best-known eco-village and its residents. Wallington, UK:
BioRegional Development Group. http://www.bioregional.com/wp-content/
uploads/2014/10/BedZED_seven_years_on.pdf.
High Point
Breathe-Easy Homes
Washington,
United States
Seattle Housing Authority (n.d.). High Point Redevelopment: Breathe-Easy
Homes. https://www.seattlehousing.org/about-us/redevelopment/high-pointredevelopment/
breathe-easy-homes.
Takaro, T., et al (2011, January). The Breathe-Easy Home: The Impact of
Asthma-Friendly Home Construction on Clinical Outcomes and Trigger
Exposure. American Journal of Public Health, (101)1, 55-62. https://www.ncbi.
nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3000722/pdf/55.pdf.
Phillips, T. (n.d.). Breathe-Easy Homes ease asthma symptoms in High
Point’s low-income children. https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/
download?fid=1895&nid=13950.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy
Development and Research (2012). Seattle’s High Point Redevelopment
Project. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/casestudies/study_04092012_1.html.
Mariposa
Colorado, United
States
Denver Housing Authority (n.d.). Mariposa Redevelopment. http://www.
denverhousing.org/development/Mariposa/Pages/default.aspx.
Denver Housing Authority and Mithun, Inc. (2012). Mariposa Healthy Living
Toolkit. http://www.denverhousing.org/development/Mariposa/Documents/
Mariposa%20HLI%20Toolkit%202012.pdf.
Center for Active Design (n.d.). Mariposa Redevelopment Master Plan and
Healthy Living Initiative. https://centerforactivedesign.org/mariposa/.
Christensen, E. (2013, March 21). Achieving Green Affordable Living with
Healthy Urbanism. San Francisco, CA: Mithun. http://archive.uli.org/
housingopportunity/march21/130/greeninghousing/Christensen_Presentation.
pdf.
Fletcher, A., et al (2017). Community Engagement for Healthy Housing: The
Story. Change Lab Solutions – The Block Project. https://medium.com/theblock-
project/community-engagement-for-healthy-housing-50a187287f3.
Kramer, A., Lassar, T., Federman, M., and Hammer-Schmidt, S. (2014). Building
for Wellness: The Business Case. Washington, DC: Urban Land Institute. http://
uli.org/wp-content/uploads/ULI-Documents/Building-for-Wellness-The-
Business-Case.pdf.
Mueller
Texas, United States
Zhu, X., et al (2014). A Retrospective Study on Changes in Residents’ Physical
Activities, Social Interactions, and Neighborhood Cohesion after Moving to a
Walkable Community. Preventive Medicine, 69(Suppl.), S93-S97. https://www.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4268044/.
College of Architecture Center for Health Systems & Design, Texas A&M
University (2013). Walkable Communities: Evaluating Impacts of a Walkable
Community on Residents’ Physical and Social Health. https://www.acsa-arch.
org/docs/default-source/resources/aia_sus_tamu_rpt_digital_f.pdf?sfvrsn=2.
Zhu, X., et al (2014, March). Health Impacts of a Walkable Community. 2014
Active Living Research Conference. http://activelivingresearch.org/healthimpacts-
walkable-community.
“Walkable Communities” Really Do Work. January 7, 2015. Texas A&M Today
Press Release. http://today.tamu.edu/2015/01/07/walkable-communities-reallydo-
work-study-finds/.
Walkable community’s influence on physical activity investigated. October 23,
Selandra Rise
Victoria, Australia
VicHealth (2016). Planning and designing healthy new communities: Selandra
Rise. https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/media-and-resources/publications/
selandra-rise.
Maller, C. and Nicholls, L. (2016). Selandra Rise Research Highlights. https://
www.planning.org.au/documents/item/7721.
VicHealth (2016). Reducing commute times integral to the health of our outer
suburban residential communities. https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/media-andresources/
media-releases/reducing-commute-times-integral-to-the-health-ofour-
outer-suburban-residential-communities.
Maller, C. and Nicholls, L. (2016). Build in good services from day one for
healthier communities: lessons from Selandra Rise. https://theconversation.
com/build-in-good-services-from-day-one-for-healthier-communities-lessonsfrom-
selandra-rise-58790.
Maller, C. (2012). Master Planned Communities and the Re-formation of Cities
for Health and Wellbeing: The Case of Selandra Rise. International Making
Cities Livable Paper. http://global-cities.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/
IMCL_2012_Maller_paper_14022012.pdf.
Stockland
(developer of 40
communities in
Australia)
Stockland (2017). The Stockland Liveability Index: Community Insights for the
Future of Australian Cities. https://www.stockland.com.au/residential/discoverour-
communities/sustainability-and-well-being/liveability.
Stockland (2017, August 8). “Liveability” survey, urban experts unveil
ingredients for successful cities. Joint Media Release. https://www.stockland.
com.au/media-centre/media-releases/liveability-survey-findings-urbanexperts-
unveil-key-ingredients-for-successful-cities.
Stockland (2017). Stockland Sustainability DMA Series: Community (FY16).
https://www.stockland.com.au/about-stockland/sustainability/shape-thrivingcommunities.
Stockland (n.d.). Liveability – Residential Communities. https://www.planning.
org.au/documents/item/5553.
Property group designs liveability index. August 31, 2011. http://www.
thefifthestate.com.au/articles/property-group-designs-liveability-index/27251.
Shared Value Project (2016). Stockland: Creating liveable communities
through shared value. http://sharedvalue.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/
Stockland-SVI-Case-Snapshot_Final.pdf.
Berkeley Group
(developer of 6
communities in United
Kingdom)
Berkeley Group. Creating Successful Places. https://www.berkeleygroup.co.uk/
sustainability/social-sustainability/creating-successful-places.
Berkeley Group (2012). Creating Strong Communities: How to measure the
social sustainability of new housing developments. https://www.berkeleygroup.
co.uk/media/pdf/e/9/berkeley-group-social-sustainability-parts-1-3.pdf.
Berkeley Group (2014). Creating Successful Places: A Toolkit. https://www.
berkeleygroup.co.uk/media/pdf/l/h/berkeley-social-sustainability-toolkit.pdf.
Berkeley Group and UK Green Building Council (2015). Practical how-to guide:
How to use a social sustainability framework. http://www.ukgbc.org/sites/default/
files/How%20to%20use%20a%20social%20sustainability%20framework.pdf.
Dixon, T. and Woodcraft, S. (2013, November). Creating Strong Communities:
Measuring Social Sustainability in New Housing Development. Town and
Country Planning. https://www.reading.ac.uk/web/files/cme/Tim-Dixon-
Design-Wellbeing-paper.pdf.
RESIDE Study
Western Australia,
Australia
University of Western Australia (n.d.). RESIDEntial Environment Study
(RESIDE) II. http://www.see.uwa.edu.au/research/cbeh/projects/reside2.
University of Western Australia (2015). Living Liveable. The impact of the
Liveable Neighbourhoods Policy on the health and wellbeing of Perth residents.
http://www.see.uwa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/2805543/CBEH_
Reside_Brochure_.pdf.
University of Western Australia (2015). The RESIDential Environments
(RESIDE) Project: List of Publications. http://www.see.uwa.edu.au/__data/
assets/pdf_file/0003/2805546/RESIDential-Environments-Project_List-of-
Publications_October-2015.pdf.
Giles-Corti, B., et al (2007, November). Can the impact on health of a
government policy designed to create more liveable neighbourhoods be
evaluated? An overview of the RESIDential Environment Project. NSW Public
Health Bulletin, 18(11-12), 238-242. https://doi.org/10.1071/NB07027.
Gallup Active Living
Communities Study
United States
Gallup-Healthways (2015). State of American Well-Being: Active Living
Environment in U.S. Communities. http://info.healthways.com/hubfs/Gallup-
Healthways_State_of_American_Well-Being_2015_Community_Impact_
vFINAL.pdf?t=1476288475331.
Witters, D. and Nekvasil, N. (2016, October 11). Communities Built
for Active Living Have Healthier Residents. http://news.gallup.com/
businessjournal/196061/communities-built-active-living-healthier-residents.
aspx/.