Illuminating Policy for Health: Insights From a Decade of Researching Urban and Regional Planning (Palgrave Studies in Public Health Policy Research)

This book unpacks policy and politics for health, equity, and wellbeing. With a critical realist lens, the book provides a methodology for sophisticated health focussed policy analysis which situates public health within complex political processes and systems. The application of that lens is demonstrated with insights from a decade of research into urban and regional planning. Acknowledgements Funding Praise for Illuminating Policy for Health Contents List of Figures List of Tables 1 Introduction References Part I Methodology Matters 2 The Positioning of Health in Public Policy (with an Urban Flavour) Healthy Public Policy: A History Health in All Policies or Healthy Public Policy? Urban Healthy Public Policy Equity as the Goal for Healthy Public Policy: ‘Place’ as a Working Example Conclusion: Evidence ‘of Policy’ References 3 Healthy Public Policy Analysis: Switching on the Floodlights Critical Realism What Does Reality Look like? The Task of Abstraction Switching on the Floodlights Summary References 4 The Steps in Critical Realist Analysis Theory and Research: Types and Uses The Steps The Goal: Adaptive Theory Conclusion References 5 Drawing Out the Essentials for Analysing Public Policy for Health New Institutionalism: A Brief History Essentialising Public [Health] Policy: The Policy Cube Conclusion References Part II Section 1: Conducting a Realist Research Program into Health in Urban and Regional Planning in Australia, 2011–2021 6 Research Protocol Introduction Analytic Framework Program of Work and Methods Case-Study Design—Multiple Explanatory Case Studies Data Collection Documentary Analysis Interviews Summary References 7 Empirical Data Actors Structures Ideas Processes Conclusion References 8 Theoretical Comparison: From Theories of the Policy Process to Urban Politics A Brief Overview of the Theoretical Comparison Method Theories of the Policy Process Urban Politics: Governance and Power Normative Positioning: What ‘Should’ Happen Goals and Objectives Meet Governance Composition Summary References Part II Section 2: Healthy Planning Through the Lens of Governance and Power 9 Governance Strategic Planning: Stuck in the New Public Management Rather Than Flexible Governance Environmental Assessments of Mega Infrastructure Projects: A Governance Failure Western Sydney City Deal: New Ideas Hobbled by Old Institutional Interests Conclusion References 10 Power The Absence of Health at the Legislative Level Strategic Planning: Challenging Path Dependencies Infrastructure: Symbols of Economic Power Environmental Assessments and Power Power and the Western Sydney City Deal Conclusion References 11 Normative Critique About Healthy Planning Legislate for a Health Focussed Objective with Points of Action Across the System Long-term and Strategic Perspective—Navigating Incrementalism is the Key Pick Your Battles: But Preferably Choose One with a Future (i.e. Sustainability) Infrastructure as a Determinant of Health EAs Need Fundamental Reform Governance Focussed on Health is the Future of Healthy Public Policy Conclusion: Ways Forward for the Healthy Planning Agenda References Postscript References Index This book takes a public health lens to how policies are made and shaped. Focussing on policymaking for cities and regions, the books Critical Realist scaffold draws in knowledge from theories about policy institutions, processes, governance, and power. Combining personal insight with empirical rigour and theoretical depth, the book navigates how to conduct public health focussed policy analysis. Patrick Harris is Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the Centre for Health Equity Training, Research and Evaluation at UNSW, Sydney, Australia