Guidance on Tall Buildings

English Heritage and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) are inviting comments on their joint publication Guidance on Tall Buildings, which was originally published in 2003. They anticipate that local planning authorities will use the revised version of this document to inform policy and to evaluate applications for tall buildings. As yet, Guidance on Tall Buildings makes no reference to the negative impact of overshadowing on health. High-rise developments obscure the sun; and it is sunlight keeps the human body's circadian clock synchronized each day. The shadows cast by tall buildings may inhibit this entrainment. People with disrupted circadian rhythms have an increased risk of accidents, disturbed sleep patterns, psychological disorders and other health problems. In addition, sunlight is the primary source of vitamin D in the body. Overshadowing from tall buildings limits opportunities for the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin. The adverse effects of sunlight deprivation should be considered when such buildings are planned. We have until May to comment.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.11149