05 Oct 2022
Healthy cities conference to discuss diversity and inclusivity in urban planning and design
BY Tom Walker
A conference held in London this month will discuss the "next frontier" in health- and wellness-based urban design and civic architecture.
The Healthy City Design 2022 International Congress & Exhibition – held from 10 to 11 October 2022 – will take place at the Royal College of Physicians, London, UK and will also be streamed virtually online.
Organised by Salus Global Knowledge Exchange, in collaboration with The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design and Royal College of Art, the theme of the event is "The Next Frontier: Diversity, inclusivity and opportunity for all".
The conference will include a comprehensive educational programme covering a wide range of topics, from wellness design, climate change resilience and community engagement in planning to active travel and data-driven design.
There will also be sessions on "living streets" and digital placemaking for health and wellbeing.
Each day will open and close with keynote plenary sessions before splitting up into four streams.
Day one (10 October) will focus on homes and neighbourhoods; population health; planetary health; and transport and mobility.
Day two (11 October) will cover urban design, planning and public realm; smart cities, work and workplace; inclusive and accessible design; and designing for young and old.
Keynote speakers include Carlos Dora MD, President of the International Society for Urban Health in Switzerland, who will present a session titled "Creating healthier urban environments: Turning knowledge into action"; and Nathalie Laure Roebbel PhD, the World Health Organization's (WHO) unit head for urban health, who will offer an update on the WHO's urabn health agenda.
The Healthy City Design conference is described as a global forum for the exchange of knowledge on the research, policy and practice of designing healthy and sustainable cities and communities.
The event organisers said: "Our cities have pulled back from the brink in the aftermath of the global pandemic and are now on the road to renewal.
"There have been many lessons for urban planners, architects, policymakers and public health professionals to absorb from the coronavirus crisis that also apply to planetary health action – none more so than the need to make our cities more inclusive, diverse, and equitable to create opportunities for all.
"This is an exciting time to fast-forward to reimagine and remake the city for all. ‘The Next Frontier’ will see new amalgams of expertise and knowledge addressing the vital questions around inclusion and diversity in the professional disciplines in design, technology, urbanism and health."
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