Topics applied into action

Cold spells adversely impact the mental well-being of older adults, causing depression, sleep disturbances, and social isolation. This study highlights the failure of community services to address these issues, urging policymakers and healthcare providers to implement targeted mental health interventions for this vulnerable population.

Differences in walking behaviour among racial groups highlight systemic inequalities that affect how and why people walk, pointing to broader issues of transportation and urban planning inequities.

Opportunities exist to influence the growth of secondary cities, home to most of the world’s urban population, in ways that maximise residents’ wellbeing as well as achieve sustainability goals. More research is required to understand how this can be achieved, in particular in relation to city governance.

Violence and abuse by and among youth are critical public health issues. Building equitable cities requires centring the voices of marginalised young people, whose experiences provide vital insights into safer urban spaces. Supporting marginalised youth in shaping safer cities is a delicate balance, like the porcupine's dilemma; —nurturing participation while ensuring protection. Together, we can create safer, more equitable spaces for all.

Well-planned cities and neighbourhoods are building blocks for health and wellbeing. Our study evaluated one approach that two English local government organisations took to facilitate healthier environments, in both 'healthy places officers' were employed to bridge the gap between planning and public health teams.

The high risk of death and disability from being struck by a car is unevenly distributed geographically and socially. Our analytics reveal a troubling pattern in that people from Black and Latino neighbourhoods facean especially high risk of crashes, both near and far from home. Vision Zero leaders in the hundreds of participating cities across the world in planning departments, nonprofits, and community groups need to look at our approach.

Loneliness impacts hugely on our lives and there is appetite for solutions. Spending time in a place, bumping into one another could be one of them. Can we reframe how we think about spending time in a place? And should we?

Building place attachment and sense of community through design can improve community well-being, yet reviews on this topic are lacking. This manuscript presents a systematic review of the links between pedestrian designs and place attachment and sense of community, and also highlights several health equity considerations to encourage new ideas about inclusive and healthy urban design practice and study.

This study sheds light on Indian planners' perceptions of health integration in urban and regional planning, highlighting implementation obstacles as well as acknowledgement of the topic's significance.

Health has turned into a number one priority in the present city context (e.g. lower emissions, active transportation, sustainable farming). By integrating it with proximity measures (as in the 15-minute city), we can create even healthier cities. Here is how they do it around the globe.

Citizen science projects can form the basis for sustainable and inclusive urban development in accordance with SDG 11. Citizens, researchers and city authorities work together to explore the city and implement urban planning that meets the needs of all those involved in a city.

Let's make our cities health-supporting settings! Hungarian members of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network have developed a city health planning methodology based on two decades of fieldwork. It offers a solution for health experts and decision-makers to bridge the gap between local health needs and challenges in implementing community health initiatives.