International perspective on health impact assessment in urban settings.

Health impact assessment is being used to support and deliver healthy and sustainable communities in major urban areas around the world. This article discusses some of the latest international developments in the use of health impact assessment in urban settings: in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia. It outlines the implications of this work and describes some of the challenges facing practitioners in predicting health impacts and providing solutions to protecting and enhancing health and wellbeing in urban settings.