Abstract Myopia is the most common visual impairment among children and adolescents. With the acceleration of urbanization, the relationship between myopia and factors of the built environment, such as building density, living space, green environment, etc, has attracted widespread attention in society. A growing number of studies have shown that the factors of the built environment play an important role in the onset and progression of myopia. This current review focuses on the effects of the built environment on myopia in children and adolescents, summarizes the association between the built environment and myopia in children and adolescents from the aspects of environmental density, living space and green space environment, and discusses the potential paths of the association, including affecting the light environment and restricting the outdoor activities of children and adolescents, which could provide environmental etiological clues for the prevention and control of myopia in children and adolescents and reduce the burden of public health caused by myopia.