Healthy City Design A to Z

A is for AWARDS

The Healthy City Design Awards, revealed during the final session of the Congress, aim to celebrate projects, schemes and research that offer novel and well-considered means to positively impact on the physical and mental health and wellbeing of urban populations. The entry deadline for award submissions is 4 September. For more information, visit www.healthycitydesign.global

B is for BREAKFAST

Supported by 360 Degree Society, the BeMore Breakfast Networking Social takes place on Wednesday 15 October, 08.00-08.45 in the Quays Bar. This informal breakfast meet-up is a chance to pause, connect, reflect and spark ideas together before the day’s programme begins.

C is for CULTURE + CONNECTION

A centrepiece of the Congress every year, the Culture + Connection Evening Networking Reception will be held at the Imperial War Museum North in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, a short walk from the Lowry. It takes place on the evening of Tuesday 14 October, from 19.00 to 22.00. Ticket prices are £95 + VAT.

D is for DESTINATION CITY PARTNERS

Our Destination City Partners are Salford City Council and MediaCity. The former is the local authority for the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough with city status in Greater Manchester. The latter is a waterside campus, located two miles outside of Manchester city centre. It brings together national powerhouses including BBC, ITV and University of Salford alongside world-class cultural institutions such as the Lowry.

E is for EARLY-BIRD DEADLINE

The early-bird discount deadline is 10 September 2025. In-person tickets are available in three categories: Commercial sector; Public sector; and Third/Voluntary sector. Virtual-only tickets to access the live stream and on-demand recordings are also available, as are group discounts – full details at www.healthycitydesign.global

F is for FIVE KM RUN

Lace up and join 360 Degree Society for an early morning 5km run around Salford Quays – a chance to clear your head, stretch your legs and take in the waterfront views before the day begins. It takes place on both Congress days at 06.45–07.30. Please email info@salus.global to register your interest.

G is for GREATER MANCHESTER MOVING

Event partner Greater Manchester Moving is a leading Greater Manchester charity changing lives and supporting health creation through movement, physical activity, and sport. It has curated a session at the Congress that brings together voices from across myriad sectors and roles to discuss different perspectives and actions that create joy in our neighbourhoods – Tuesday 14 Oct, session 7, 14.00–15.30.

H is for HEALTH AND WELLBEING PLANNING NETWORK

Organised by the Health and Wellbeing Planning Network, this lunchtime session on 14 October formally launches the Community of Practice for Public Health and Strategic Planning, developed by the Network, Ouri Labs, Prior + Partners, Quality of Life Foundation, and Optimal Cities. The Community of Practice creates a platform for knowledge exchange, best practice sharing, and collaborative problem-solving.

I is for IMPACT ON URBAN HEALTH

Part of Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation, the Congress’ Community and Impact Partner, Impact on Urban Health, works to make urban areas healthier places for everyone who lives in them. It has curated a panel session at the Congress that will highlight the varied opportunities for sustainable community-centred solutions and policy actions to climate mitigation and adaptation – Tuesday 14 Oct, session 4, 16.00–17.15.

J is for JOURNAL PARTNER

Our Journal Partner since the first HCD Congress in 2017, Cities & Health Journal provides an innovative platform supporting the curation and communication of research for policy and practice. With editor-in-chief Marcus Grant at the helm, its core focus is city planning, design and spatial governance for population health, planetary health and healthy equity. It also publishes a special Congress issue.

K is for KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Our keynote and featured speakers, from the private, public and third sectors, are some of the leading thinkers and practitioners in their field. Providing local, national and international perspectives, they help set the tone for the Congress and establish a common thread on some of the key issues discussed over the two days.

L is for LOWRY

The venue for this year’s Congress, the Lowry is named after early 20th-century painter L.S. Lowry. One of Britain’s 12 landmark projects for the Millennium, it’s commonly regarded as a triumph of civic will and enterprise. Designed by Michael Wilford, it was the flagship project of Salford City Council’s regeneration plan in 1988 for the redevelopment of the derelict Salford docks as a leisure, cultural and tourism area.

M is for MARMOT CITIES

Chaired by Prof Matt Ashton, this session (Tuesday 14 Oct, session 2, 10.45–12.30) will explore, through comparative analysis, the strategies that different cities, including Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle, have employed as Marmot Cities to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities.

N is for NETWORKING

Both ‘in person’ and ‘virtual’ delegates will enjoy exceptional networking and professional development opportunities, building knowledge of the socio-economic global context, and emerging practice, skills and core competencies in designing and planning healthy communities, sustainable development, and urban infrastructure.

O is for OLD TRAFFORD

One of the UK’s most ambitious projects, hear how the regeneration of Old Trafford is set to transform the area and fuel economic and social growth across Greater Manchester, with key projects both in Salford and Trafford – including a world-class football stadium at its core – Wednesday 15 Oct, session 21, 16.00–17.00).

P is for PARTNERS

Healthy City Design benefits from collaborations with many event partners, including Architects for Health; Academy of Urbanism; Greater Manchester Moving; Healthy Homes Hub; HiP Network; International Society for Urban Health; ISGlobal; LDN Collective; TRUUD; TCPA; Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health; Urban Health 360; WORKTECH Academy; and 360 Degree Society. See www.healthycitydesign.global

Q is for QUAYS

The Quays Theatre is the main Congress space, hosting the keynote plenaries and several other great sessions. The Quays Bar is the location for the formal launch of the Community of Practice for Public Health and Strategic Planning – Tuesday 14 Oct, 13.15–13.45. And the Salford Quays themselves will be the location of a free walking tour, led by the 360 Degree Society, on the evening of Tuesday 14 October, 18.00–19.00.

R is for REGENERATION AND RENEWAL

Salford’s transformation from a “dirty old town” to a beacon of innovation, creativity, and community-led regeneration will be the subject of the opening keynote plenary at this year’s Congress, exploring how Salford’s bold approach to placemaking, stewardship, and legacy-building is shaping one of the UK’s fastest-growing cities, with health, wellbeing and sustainable development at its core.

S is for SALFORD and SPONSORS

This year’s host city, Salford has seen rapid development, attracting investment and new residents. This regeneration is driven by a strong vision and partnership working, aiming to create a fairer, greener, healthier and more inclusive city. The Congress is also made possible thanks to the support of our Silver Knowledge Leaders: AECOM; BVN; HLM; Llewelyn Davies; Ryder; and Therme Group; and Bronze Innovation Leader: BDP.

T is for TRANSITIONS TO HEALTH

The plenary theme for this year’s Congress is ‘Transitions to health: Impact through planning, policy and investment’. This hooks into myriad new agendas emerging around the world with a renewed focus on embedding the wider determinants of health in urban plans, communities, major infrastructure and the built environment. This includes the UK Government’s ambition to “fix the NHS” via the NHS 10-Year Plan.

U is for URBAN PARKS

Chaired by LDN Collective’s Max Farrell, a session on urban parks and health and wellbeing resorts (Wednesday 15 Oct, session 25, 14.00–15.30) provides insights into three projects in the North of England, as well as discussions into this exciting and emerging trend.

V is for VIDEO + POSTER GALLERY

Supported by AECOM, the Video + Poster Gallery features an array of visual and dynamic presentations on scientific research, cutting-edge policy, technological innovations, and landmark urban design projects. On display throughout the Congress, the Gallery provides ample opportunity for delegates to peruse at their leisure in between sessions.

W is for WALKING TOURS

Organised by social enterprise Invisible Cities, three walking tours provide an opportunity to experience Manchester beyond the postcard and hear about the gritty stories that truly define a city. Tickets for the tours, led by trained guides who have experienced homelessness, are £25+VAT. So, if you’re keen on pubs, music or history, join a tour – more details at www.healthycitydesign.global/programme/walking-tours

X is for eXPERIENCE

Our delegate experience is enhanced by HCD2025 Live, our fully integrated virtual event platform and mobile app. With a live conference stream broadcast into our virtual event platform, delegates will have the choice of whether to participate ‘in person’ or ‘virtually’, providing new opportunities to access talks and expert content from anywhere in the world.

Y is for YOU!

The Congress is renowned for its inclusivity and engagement with delegates. During each session, there will be ample time for members of the audience to pose questions to our speakers and presenters, while the mobile app enables virtual attendees to engage remotely via tools such as chat and Q&A. Speakers and delegates come from inter- and multidisciplinary backgrounds, with community voices also bringing valuable insights.

Z is for ZEITGEIST

In many ways, Healthy City Design captures the defining spirit of our age – the need to move health upstream and create the conditions to live healthy, meaningful and purposeful lives, while at the same time safeguarding our planet’s future and the lives of future generations. We look forward to you joining us at this year’s 9th Healthy City Design Congress in Salford, Greater Manchester to help deliver on this vital agenda. See www.healthycitydesign.global for more information.