If you remove London from GDP figures, the UK’s national income is the same as Mississippi, the poorest US state. That’s according to leading authority on health inequalities Prof Sir Michael Marmot, who highlighted the startling statistic at the Healthy City Design International Congress 2023 in Liverpool, in October.
When it comes to addressing health equity, of which housing is a key issue, there are three pieces to the puzzle – firstly, there is a need to centre policy and solutions around the people who are affected by this injustice; there is a need to act across sectors and with different players who can make a difference; and there is a need to shift away from a focus on individual behaviour.
Closing this year’s Healthy City Design International Congress in Liverpool, an expert panel of local and national research and policy leaders in urban design, regeneration and health, chaired by Graham Marshall, director at Prosocial Place, offered insights on two days of talks, presentations and workshops, and how the city of Liverpool can improve people’s health, wellbeing and quality of life.
