Healthy City Design Congress Voices: Economic, social and climate perspectives: Empowering communities

In the UK and around the world, there is growing momentum behind driving the transitions towards a healthier city that are community-based, digital and preventative. How these transitions might be achieved in cities around the world through investment, research, development, planning, design and delivery; and what can those cities learn from each other?

With a global and UK housing crisis is at the heart of a health crisis too, opportunities for creating health, community building and sustainable development must go hand in hand and not be swept to one side in a ‘rush to build’.

In this highlights video from last year’s 2024 HCD Congress in Liverpool, some of the world’s leading experts from policy, research, investment and practice across public health, the built environment and from communities provide insights on how to shift from the theory to practice, delivering real projects and developments on the ground that engage communities of all age groups and cultural, ethnic and racial groups in the creation and delivery of healthy cities that support inclusive economic growth and social development.

We hear from HCD’s expert voices, including HCD co-founder, Prof Jeremy Myerson, HCD advisors, Lord Nigel Crisp, Dr Yonette Thomas and Max Farrell on the opportunities for shared learning between the health, real estate and built environment sectors, and between different countries to empower and engage communities in creating healthier and more prosperous neighbourhoods and cities where everyone can thrive.

Organised by SALUS Global Knowledge Exchange and the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art, in collaboration with Impact on Urban Health and Cities & Health Journal, Healthy City Design 2025 (HCD 2025) International Congress & Exhibition is a global forum for the exchange of knowledge on the research, policy, investment and practice of designing healthy and sustainable cities and communities. This year’s congress will be held at the Lowry, MediaCity in Salford, Greater Manchester, from 14-15^th October.