Public health: Seattle and King County's push for the built environment.

Introduction In Seattle and King County, Washington, and nationwide, evidence shows that decisions about how we use land and build our environ­ ment have significant impacts on individual and population health, safety, and well-being. Land use and built environments also impact community networks, economic growth, en­ vironmental sustainability, and social justice. In the past century, awareness of the negative health effects and disparities due to impacts from the built environment has grown, but a lack of knowledge, recognition, and viable data remains about the connection between the built environment and health (Jackson, 2003).