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Paper short abstract:

This poster explores health-related views on urban density in the 1970s, a major change in the previously unquestioned idea on the connection between high density and ill health, and the reasons for this change.

Paper long abstract:

This poster explores health-related views on urban density in the 1970s, a major change in the previously unquestioned idea on the connection between high density and ill health, and the reasons for this change.

Since the birth of epidemiology in the 19th century, high population and dwelling unit density have been considered harmful for human health, particularly due to the spread of infectious diseases. Later the negative effects were connected to non-communicable diseases and mental problems as well, and these strong views influenced for instance urban planning and housing policy. The 1970s brought a substantial change in health-related views on urban density, and the automatic connection between high density and ill health became questioned. This change was inspired by new cross-disciplinary research (particularly environmental psychology and urban sociology) and by new environmental and societal thinking and public health priorities.

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