A well-functioning system for water and sanitation must address the needs of under-served urban residents. Eden Mati-Mwangi shows how a systems-change approach can have a lasting impact on Kenya’s sanitations sector.
To ensure that cities are healthy, residents need access to affordable housing, argues Andrew Jones from Reall – a social enterprise, innovator and impact investor that has been at the forefront of affordable housing for decades.
Migrants are critical to the resilience of cities all over the world and simultaneously some of the most vulnerable urban dwellers when disaster strikes. Michele Acuto and Daniel Pejic from Connected Cities Lab explain why addressing urban migrant vulnerability strengthens the resilience of cities and fast-tracks our recovery from COVID-19.
The importance of green spaces is increasingly acknowledged as an important aspect in urban development. Davide Geneletti calls on urban planners to properly understand the relationships between ecosystems and residents to make the most efficient use of the services ecosystems provide to cities and their residents.
Rapid urbanisation also means that the game for the quality of life and the health of the citizens will be won or lost in the cities. Barcelona-based architect Eloi Juvillà Ballester analyses the potential of urban green spaces as decisive component in this game.
Citizens of Mexico City face serious health issues – due to failures in urban planning, says Auribel Villa. Green infrastructure development significantly supports cities' ways towards becoming healthier and thus more liveable.
Municipal efforts to improve access to health care can reduce existing inequalities in Central America and the Caribbean, says Agustín Muñoz del Guayo.
Does urban living threaten our mental health and happiness? Popular culture is rife with stories suggesting that city living causes emotional stress and unhappiness. Our author Todd Litman's review of the research indicates that city living has a variety of impacts on our mental health and happiness that reduce certain risks and increase others.
