Dr Hassam Chaudhry, Associate Professor at Heriot-Watt University, Dubai, explores how healthier, more sustainable and inclusive built environments can improve quality of life, strengthen economic performance and support the long-term resilience of cities across the UAE and beyond.
August 24, 2026 | Dr Hassam Chaudhry | UAE | Real Estate | 3 Min Read
Worldwide, researchers, organisations, and communities are increasingly aware of how indoor spaces can affect people's health and wellbeing. The built environment includes all human-made surroundings, such as buildings, infrastructure, transportation systems, and public spaces, that serve as the setting for human activity. While it includes physical features, it also significantly affects less tangible aspects of society, such as collective health, economic growth, and the environment. Some of the key aspects of the relationship between the built environment and collective wellbeing have been explained below.
People spend most of their lives indoors, making factors such as indoor air quality, ventilation, temperature, lighting, and acoustics important considerations for public health. Poorly designed or maintained buildings can contribute to respiratory problems, discomfort and fatigue, while well-managed environments can support healthier everyday living.
Urban design also influences levels of physical activity. Neighbourhoods that provide safe pedestrian routes, cycling infrastructure, accessible public transport, and green spaces can make it easier to incorporate active lifestyles into daily routines.
The link to physical health is especially relevant in the Middle East, where high temperatures mean people spend considerable periods indoors. Building design, cooling, ventilation and air quality management are therefore crucial for providing healthy environments in the region. By integrating health considerations into the planning, design, and management of buildings, we can reduce long-term health risks and collectively maximise quality of life.
The relationship between buildings and mental wellbeing is also receiving greater attention. Access to natural light, views of nature, comfortable temperatures, and thoughtfully designed communal areas influence how people experience workplaces, homes, schools and healthcare facilities.
For instance, green spaces are particularly important within dense cities. Several studies have highlighted the efficacy of urban green spaces in promoting mental and physical health while also reducing exposure to environmental risks such as excessive heat and air pollution. Workplaces provide another useful example. As organisations seek to improve employee experience, there is growing interest in spaces that provide good air quality, appropriate lighting, acoustic comfort and opportunities for collaboration as well as focused work. Facilities management teams have a central role in maintaining these conditions and responding to changing occupant needs.
A healthy and sustainable built environment is a major contributor towards economic performance. Factors such as thermal comfort, lighting, perceived health and hygiene, ergonomics, basic building amenities, aesthetics, and ease of work have been found to significantly impact productivity. On the other hand, poor indoor environmental conditions can negatively affect concentration, productivity, and absenteeism.
Inefficient buildings also increase energy and maintenance costs at a broader level, while isolating, non-human-centred infrastructure can severely diminish the attractiveness and competitiveness of cities. This has particular significance for the Gulf, where multiple cities are investing heavily in new residential communities, tourism destinations, healthcare facilities, educational campuses and commercial developments. In Dubai, for example, the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan aims to increase the area dedicated to public beaches by 400 per cent and green and recreational spaces by 105 per cent, while placing greater emphasis on accessibility and quality of life. Such initiatives underscore how urban development can support wider social and economic objectives.
Some other critical areas of discussion include the environmental performance of buildings and how they foster social equity and harmony. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, buildings and construction account for around a third of global energy-related carbon emissions. Improving energy efficiency, adopting cleaner energy sources, and reducing waste across the building lifecycle are therefore essential to meeting climate goals.
At the same time, the benefits of a healthy environment need to be accessible across society. This includes expanding access to public transport and green spaces, improving essential services, and ensuring comfortable housing, all of which can influence quality of life and economic opportunity. The goal must be to practice inclusive planning that considers children, older people, people of determination, and communities with diverse socioeconomic needs, ensuring that each member of society benefits from these developments.
The built environment will become increasingly important as cities across the globe continue to expand and respond to changing demographic, economic and environmental needs. By placing health, wellbeing, sustainability and accessibility alongside economic considerations, the region can create built environments that support healthier communities and more resilient economies for decades to come.
The views expressed in this column are solely of the author, and do not necessarily represent the editorial position of Real Estate Market Times.
