Abstract

Identifying if and how health drives urban policies is critical for highlighting knowledge gaps and communicating evidence about health impacts to policymakers. A scoping review of grey literature published by international organizations from 1996–2018 identified the ways health is used to justify urban policies in Latin America. We reviewed 58 documents and identified 80 policies related to social inequalities, social inclusion and poverty; urban renewal, revitalization and housing upgrading; mobility and transport; emissions and pollution control; and urban safety and violence. Over half of those policies focused on social inequalities, over a third of those focused on urban renewal or mobility and transport, and all policies focused on emissions and pollution control referenced at least one health justification. Of 77 justifications identified, 22.1% related to health services utilization and access, 16.9% to general health, 18.2% to physical health, 18.2% to other general measures, 11.7% to health behaviors, 9.1% to health equity, and 3.9% to mortality. Only eight (10.4%) health justifications cited scientific evidence; only one referenced a peer-reviewed publication. Generally, health arguments were generic, underdeveloped, healthcare-focused, and/or unfounded in scientific evidence. Our findings highlight the need to effectively communicate scientific evidence on the health impacts of urban policy. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.