Are we measuring the right things when we plan our cities?

For decades, economic growth has been used as a shorthand for progress. If GDP is rising, the assumption follows that communities must be doing well.

But GDP has never told us how healthy people are, whether they feel connected to their communities, or whether cities are being designed for long-term wellbeing rather than short-term gains.

This question was explored recently in an article published in The Illawarra Flame, following a discussion involving our CEO and leading urban and public health experts. The conversation centred on a growing global shift: moving away from measuring success purely by economic output, and towards what’s increasingly known as a wellbeing economy.

When health is designed in, not added later

Around the world, governments are beginning to embed health and wellbeing into decision-making frameworks, rather than treating health as something to address after policies are implemented.

Wales is often cited as a global leader in this space. Its Wellbeing of Future Generations Act places a legal duty on public bodies to consider long-term impacts, prioritise prevention, and collaborate across sectors to improve outcomes for people, communities and the environment. More recently, Wales has strengthened this approach by embedding Health Impact Assessments into public decision-making, ensuring the health consequences of policies are assessed before they are approved.

The result is a system where health isn’t siloed in hospitals or health departments, but shaped by planning, transport, housing, environment and social policy.

Where does Australia sit?

Australia is beginning to move in this direction, but unevenly.

In 2023, the Commonwealth launched Measuring What Matters, Australia’s first national wellbeing framework, tracking progress across health, security, sustainability, cohesion and prosperity. The National Preventive Health Strategy 2021–2030 also sets a long-term agenda focused on prevention and equity.

At the same time, progress has been slower at the legislative level. In early 2025, a proposed Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill was voted down at the federal level, highlighting how far there is still to go in embedding wellbeing into how decisions are made.

Why this matters for cities

Health outcomes are shaped long before someone enters a hospital. They are influenced by whether neighbourhoods are walkable, whether housing is affordable, whether green spaces are accessible, whether people can connect socially, and whether daily life supports physical and mental wellbeing.

Urban planning decisions quietly shape these outcomes for decades.

That’s why conversations between planners, policymakers and public health professionals are so critical, and why wellbeing must be considered as a core input into city design, not an afterthought.

Moving the conversation forward

At Healthy Cities Australia, we see health as the byproduct of good urban policy. When cities prioritise people, equity and prevention, they also create stronger economies, more resilient communities and better long-term outcomes.

Australia is starting to ask the right questions. The challenge now is how boldly, and how consistently, we act on them.

Healthy Cities Australia is proud to be part of the global wellbeing economy conversation, advocating for cities that put people, equity and prevention at the centre of decision-making.

By becoming a member, you join a growing network of urban planners, public health professionals, researchers and community leaders working to embed health and wellbeing into how our cities are designed and governed.

If you believe health should be built into cities, not treated as an afterthought, we invite you to join us.