Urban Health

LIVEABLE CITIES

“It Is Ok To Not Be Ok” – How A Mental Health Programme Changes A Community

By |2022-05-19T08:34:55+02:00May 19th 2022|

The Friendship Bench is a community-based mental health counselling programme in Zimbabwe. Dr Ruth Verhey reflects on the contributions of such programmes to liveable communities for all.

URBAN LABS AND INNOVATION

Urban Living Labs in Bangkok: Potential for Thai Cities

By |2022-04-14T09:31:06+02:00April 14th 2022|

Traditional, top-down urban planning has failed to meet the needs of urban dwellers in Thailand. Pongpisit Huyakorn, director of Bangkok-based Urban Studies Lab, makes a case for urban living labs as a more people-centred approach.

Achieving Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights in Lagos State

By |2022-01-19T18:30:05+01:00January 18th 2022|

Youths in Lagos face significant challenges regarding access to quality sexual and reproductive health education and services. Since 2011, Youth Development and Empowerment Initiative (YEDI), an adolescent health organisation, has been working to improve the health and wellbeing of adolescents and their communities in Nigeria.

Why Cities Are Letting Down Children

By |2021-12-14T10:55:46+01:00December 14th 2021|

Many diseases are caused by environmental risks – and it is our youngest and most vulnerable who need utmost protection. Yet, they are not getting what they deserve, says Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, Director of Air Pollution and Urban Environment at ISGlobal. A plea for urgent change.

Struggling for Reproductive Justice in Public, Private, and In-Between: Feminist Abortion Activism Beyond the Streets of Buenos Aires

By |2021-12-02T11:45:16+01:00December 2nd 2021|

When thinking about political activism in urban settings, feminist strategies for increasing access to safe abortion provide important insights into how different kinds of spaces can be used for political action — particularly when it comes to issues that cannot be fully addressed through public protest. Discussing strategies of abortion activism in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Lea Happ illustrates why we have to think about private and digital spaces as important for political action.

Building Resilience to COVID-19 in City Region Food Systems

By |2021-11-16T09:35:40+01:00November 16th 2021|

City region food systems are affected by diverse shocks such as a pandemic. It is therefore essential that cities develop respective resilience strategies, argue Isabella Trapani, Guido Santini, and Roman Malec from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Blended Data Infrastructures and Localisation: Smart Urbanism in the Age of Pandemic

By |2021-08-16T18:01:58+02:00August 11th 2021|

Smart city initiatives have played an increasingly prominent role in urban planning. However, there remains a fundamental gap between data driven urban governance and promoting inclusivity. Jaideep Gupte argues that cities that prioritise citizens over technologies are likely to be the ‘smartest’ and most liveable.

The Future is Public Transport

By |2021-06-22T08:37:57+02:00June 22nd 2021|

To achieve the economic, social and environmental benefits of mass public transport, we need long-term sustainable public investment in systems which are accountable to citizens and workers. Social and climate justice must drive the Covid-19 recovery and guarantee that the future is public transport, argues Alana Dave.

Cities Are Still Not Doing Enough to Reduce Air Pollution

By |2021-07-12T16:12:54+02:00May 4th 2021|

Despite scientific evidence of the relation between air pollution and premature deaths, cities are hesitant to take bold action for clean air. Mark Nieuwenhuijsen and Sasha Khomenko on reasons and perspectives.

Urban Micro-Lungs: Mini-Forests for Climate, Biodiversity & Wellbeing

By |2020-12-22T09:50:51+01:00December 22nd 2020|

Cities have become the main culprit behind environmental degradation. Yet, what if urbanisation was a restorative act of the land, no longer synonymous with ecosystem destruction? Deema Assaf highlights how mini-forests have taken root in urban areas, with the potential of rejuvenating local ecology at an unprecedented speed.

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