City Know-how
A resource
from Cities & Health journal and partners
Unlocking
Urban Research
for Practice
We support city-makers and the communities they serve
in implementing sustainable development goals with evidence.
Our journal Cities & Health builds a close relationship with cities, driving the progress of urban health. We enable researchers to test new knowledge for real-world impact and equip practitioners with the latest findings to improve health and climate outcomes.
Through this platform, access a curated repository of posts derived from our peer-reviewed articles, featuring City Know-how posts; one-page summaries that translate scientific findings into practical tools for urban decision-makers.
Join our mission of building urban development skills for Research, Planning, Design, and Policy as instrumental steps toward creating healthier and sustainable communities.
Review concepts for goal alignment
Seek information on how to improve outcomes
Find references on spatial and climate solutions
Be informed about evidence-based policies
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About our Know-how articles...
Discover scientific insights across diverse topics, focusing on improving human health by enhancing urban ecosystems.
We explore more than 14 topics and subtopic areas organized into four distinct contribution types: City Know-hows to make research accessible, Case Studies to support planning, Visual Essays to illustrate design approaches, and City Shorts to showcase how policies are applied and put into action.
Built environment refers to the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from buildings and parks or green space to neighborhoods and cities that can often include their supporting infrastructure, such as water supply or energy networks.
Subtopics:
- Urban Planning
- Urban Design
- Housing
Environmental sustainability is the ability to maintain an ecological balance in our planet’s natural environment and conserve natural resources to support the wellbeing of current and future generations.
Subtopics:
- Environment and health
- Environment and city
- Climate
The Health and Social Care sector consists of any organisation which provides healthcare support to people, for example hospitals, dentists, and specialist support like physiotherapy, and social care support, for example, nursing homes, foster caring, and nurseries.
Subtopics:
- Health and society
- Public health policy and practice
Geography is the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments. Geographers explore both the physical properties of Earth’s surface and the human societies spread across it.
Subtopics:
- Physical geography: nature and the effects it has on people and/or the environment.
- Human geography: concerned with people.
- Environmental geography: how people can harm or protect the environment.
Urban studies is based on the study of the urban development of cities. This includes studying the history of city development from an architectural point of view, to the impact of urban design on community development efforts.
Built environment refers to the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from buildings and parks or green space to neighborhoods and cities that can often include their supporting infrastructure, such as water supply or energy networks.
Subtopics:
- Urban Planning
- Urban Design
The Health and Social Care sector consists of any organisation which provides healthcare support to people, for example hospitals, dentists, and specialist support like physiotherapy, and social care support, for example, nursing homes, foster caring, and nurseries.
Subtopics:
- Health and society
- Public health policy and practice
Environmental sustainability is the ability to maintain an ecological balance in our planet’s natural environment and conserve natural resources to support the wellbeing of current and future generations.
Subtopics:
- Environment and health
- Environment and city
Geography is the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments. Geographers explore both the physical properties of Earth’s surface and the human societies spread across it.
Subtopics:
- Physical geography: nature and the effects it has on people and/or the environment.
- Human geography: concerned with people.
- Environmental geography: how people can harm or protect the environment.
Urban studies is based on the study of the urban development of cities. This includes studying the history of city development from an architectural point of view, to the impact of urban design on community development efforts.
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Next step: share your Know-how
Ready to impact urban development with your know how?
From May 2024, our platform will feature two unique article formats for you to contribute your experience.
- ‘City Know-how’ translates peer-reviewed research into practical knowledge for city makers through one-page summaries.
- ‘City Insights’ encompasses an extensive range of content, including Reflective Praxis, Case Studies, City Shorts, and more, providing in-depth analysis for sustainable urban development.
Get prepared!
Take a look at our contribution types here!
Visit our journal to know about developing an original scholarship.
Let the world know about your City Know-how.
Featured posts
Discover the most recent articles.

The first overview of a now deleted federal program planning for climate change and public health: The Climate Ready State and Cities Initiative
Anthropogenic climate change is bringing with it a whole host of deleterious public health impacts. People will die and suffer disproportionately following inequitable societal structures. With every passing year time to mitigate and adapt to anthropogenic climate change slips away. The time is now to deliberately plan for the health impacts that are now ‘baked in’ for centuries to come.

When you go for a walk – should you choose to walk the same path or a new path?
The study aims at understanding the qualities of different. Although previous studies have explored the well-being-related benefits of recreational walking in nature, studies examining the perceived qualities and contextual factors of these walks are rare.

Designing for walkability: Step by step data-driven review of pedestrian built environment studies
Our study identified predominant research themes, influential publications and authors, and emerging trends in pedestrian-built environment research. A database was used to analyse publications from 1975 to 2024, identifying research gaps and charting future research directions.

Bridging mobility and equity: Rethinking safe routes to school in gentrifying communities
We investigated how Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs intersect with gentrification in Greenville’s West End by using children’s active mobility as a lens to assess community perceptions. Through observations, behavior mapping, and interviews, we explored how mobility infrastructure impacts cultural traditions and socioeconomic dynamics. This approach allowed me to uncover tensions between design intentions and community realities, providing critical insights to guide equitable, context-sensitive urban planning in rapidly changing neighborhoods.