Benefits for people’s health through the Neighbourhood Plan
According to the study ‘Assessment of health effects from the Neighbourhood Plan 2016-2020’, carried out by the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB), there have been health benefits for people living in the areas where the plan has been applied. The benefits are greater in areas where investment was highest, specifically in the nine neighbourhoods where investment reached 727,6 euros per inhabitant. Improvements came in mental health, physical activity and perceived health in women, but the study also observed a lower risk of getting Covid-19 during the first wave of the pandemic.
The study analysed the effects of the Neighbourhood Plan exclusively in terms of health, leaving aside other impacts on social rights, education, the economy, urban ecology etc.
The study concludes that between 2016 and 2021, women’s mental health improved by 15.5%, and their perceived health by 21.7%, compared to neighbourhoods with similar socio-economic indicators where the Neighbourhood Plan was not applied. In addition, moderate and physical activity improved by 13%.
The report also notes a lower probability of getting Covid-19 during the first wave of the pandemic, between February and July 2020, with a drop in the relative risk of 11% in women and 23% in men, compared to neighbourhoods with similar socio-economic indicators where the Neighbourhood Plan was not applied at the time.
In terms of the number of teenage pregnancies (aged 15 to 19), the study found a greater reduction in the areas where the Neighbourhood Plan was applied more intensively from the outset, although this was not considered significant. Other indicators relating to local surroundings such as the perception of traffic noise as a problem, as well as the number of injuries from traffic accidents, conclude that the Neighbourhood Plan has had no favourable impact.
The Neighbourhood Plan 2016-2020 involved an overall investment of 150 million euros, allocated to 16 city neighbourhoods. The Neighbourhood Plan 2021-2024 is currently in progress, with a further 150 million euros in investment.
