Abstract

Urban and territorial planning is a critical enabler for health and wellbeing in cities and regions, and our health is influenced by many factors beyond the health sector.

Planning has a central role in the prevention of diseases in the 21st century, as urban policies define the air we breathe, the quality of spaces we use, the water we drink, the way we move, our access to food, and the treatment of diseases through adequate access to healthcare for all. Planning decisions can create or exacerbate major health risks for populations, or they can foster healthier environments, lifestyles, and create healthy and resilient cities and societies.

Assets-based approaches need to bring actors and decision- makers together around a positive baseline, recognising health as an enabler and an outcome in the process. Rather than putting problems at the centre, these approaches place the emphasis on the community’s and locality’s assets, alongside unmet needs. The first step is to identify existing assets that have or may have a health-determining role. The second step is to review if, and how, these assets can be put to use or better use.

In this keynote, Nathalie will explore the World Health Organization’s urban health agenda and programme of activities, aiming to offer practical guidance on how to integrate health into urban planning and governance.