Who we are

Creating healthy places has been a passion of Gillian from her early career working in environmental health in the UK and Laos. She has held public health positions in local authorities, NHS and academia. She is currently the Director of Public Health for Salford and leads nationally on sexual health, health protection and vaccinations.

Caroline heads up MediaCity’s marketing and communications team, leading on property, place and retail marketing. Forming a key role in the Senior Leadership Team at MediaCity her remit encompasses brand development, driving MediaCity’s managed workspace brand ARRIVE, driving the wider MediaCity destination and leading the delivery of the marketing and communications strategy for MediaCity’s ambitious phase two development plans. Before joining Landsec, Caroline gained a wealth of experience in retail, property and destination marketing at the Trafford Centre where she led on a wealth of brand development, event, digital and commercialisation projects.

Dr. Yonette Felicity Thomas is the founder and president of UrbanHealth360, an organization of multidisciplinary thinkers centered on a people-oriented, community-focused approach to urban health. Dr. Thomas is a globally acknowledged thought leader, urban health champion, and an advocate for valuing the health of women and girls as an economic imperative. A social epidemiologist/medical sociologist by training, she has served as the chief of Epidemiology at the National Institute on Drug Abuse in the National Institutes of Health, held academic positions at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Howard University, and as a vice president for research. She founded Borjoner International and Strategic Transitions to influence the progress, health, and wellbeing of individuals and communities across the world. As a founding board member of Women’s Economic Imperative (WEI), she leads the organization’s focus on the health of women and girls as an economic value. Her work as global advisor for Evidence for Sustainable Human Development Systems in Africa (EVIHDAF) and the Centre for Urban Health and Development within the Asian Institute of Poverty Alleviation (CUHD-AIPA) extends her focus on the global south and the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals in this last decade. She is the Associate Editor for Women and Girls for Cities & Health. She is a founding board member of the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH) and recently led the organization into sustainability by serving as the inaugural executive director (as a board member) and has served as a science advisor for urban health to the New York Academy of Medicine. She is a founding board member and former vice president of the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science (IAPHS) and served on the Steering Committee of the National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse for more than a decade. She served on the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Revisions to the Common Rule for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research in the Behavioral and Social Sciences. Her primary research and publications have focused on the social determinants of health, health disparities, the health of women and girls as an economic value, the social epidemiology of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS and the link with geography, including edited volumes: Geography and Drug Addiction, Crime, HIV, and Health: intersections of Criminal Justice and Public Health Concerns.

I trained in the North West on the Public Health training scheme and I’m a medical doctor by background. I have also been an academic trainee and have published multiple peer reviewed papers. I am passionate about improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities through driving collective action to improve the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age within Liverpool. I strongly believe in working with and empowering local communities to improve health outcomes. My current lead areas include wider determinants, addictions (drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gambling) and research and development, including being the lead for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded Health Determinants Research collaboration Liverpool.

Lourdes is a public health professional who leads on creating healthy and sustainable places in East Sussex for East Sussex County Council. Lourdes has a background in international development, programme management, sustainability, political science, and sociology which includes a Masters in African Studies from Oxford University. In England, she co-chairs both the national health in all policies network and the southeast regional healthy places (built and natural environment) network. Lourdes and her team work to embed ‘Health in All Policies’ and lead on ‘Creating Healthy Places’ from a public health perspective. Using a ‘whole systems approach’, Lourdes works to influence decisions made in sectors other than ‘health’ that can positively or negatively affect the wider determinants of health and health inequalities. This includes a specialist focus on ‘planning for health/designing in health’ and planetary health. Lourdes provides expertise on health impact assessments and national strategic infrastructure projects.

Carlota Sáenz de Tejada (PhD) is a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). With a background in Architecture and Urban Planning, her work focuses on housing, health, and urban resilience. She has collaborated on national and international projects with institutions such as the Barcelona City and Provincial Councils, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Carlota is also a collaborating professor at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) in the Master’s Degree in Planetary Health, and has been involved for over ten years in educational, translational, and scientific outreach activities related to urban health.

Clare is global practice leader for cities at Mott MacDonald. She is passionate about using cross-disciplinary synergy and integrated systems thinking to enable more people to be accommodated in urban areas for less cost, consuming less energy, materials and water, emitting less CO2, and cutting waste, while achieving an enhanced quality of life. She brings a practical understanding of sustainable development drivers and processes at both macro and micro level, gained through nearly 30 years as a low-energy engineer in the built environment. Combining this with engagement at policy level, she is able to bring insight into the technical, political, financial and behavioural aspects of sustainable development, particularly in areas of energy efficiency and thermal masterplanning in the built environment. Her role is often to lead stakeholders through a process of objective setting and risk assessment, where her ability to apply clarity and sensitivity in the fast-moving cities area allows decisions to be taken in an informed manner despite a lack of precedent or future certainty. In particular, working for both private-sector developers and city municipalities has given her a valuable understanding of how to align objectives and optimise outcomes.

Audrey de Nazelle is a senior lecturer at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London. Her work, at the intersection of environmental sciences, health behaviour, transportation, and urban planning, aims at guiding decision-makers towards health-promoting built environments and policies. Much of her research has been on the relationships between active travel and air pollution (exposures, health risks and benefits, and societal engagement). Dr de Nazelle holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Environmental Sciences, a Maîtrise in Mathematics from the University of Paris VI Pierre et Marie Curie, and she was a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (now ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.

Blake Jackson is an architect working at the nexus of sustainability, wellness, resiliency, and equity, who serves as the global Director, Sustainability for NORR. NORR is an 800-person integrated architecture, interiors, planning and engineering company, headquartered in Toronto, with 14 locations in the US, UK, UAE, and Canada. Blake has 23 years’ experience in the AEC industry, holding a Bachelor of Architecture from Kennesaw State University in Marietta, Georgia and a Master of Architecture in Sustainable Environmental Design from the Architectural Association Graduate School in London. Blake is a prolific author, speaker, and educator on topics affecting the built environment. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s Interior Design Program, is on the AIA National 2030 Working Group, and he is a former Vice President, Advocacy for the Boston Society of Architects. Blake was recognized in 2015 by BD+C Magazine as a top “40 Under 40” AEC professional, he was named a LEED Fellow by the USGBC in 2021, and he is a 2024 recipient of the AIA Young Architect Award.

Marcus is editor-in-chief of the Cities & Health journal. Marcus is former associate professor and deputy director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments at the University of the West of England, where he worked for some 20 years. His mission is to integrate the disparate scales of healthy urban places, linking work, neighbourhoods and communities with city policy to regional planning, and national and international initiatives. See LinkedIn for his full CV details.

Benazir Noor Mohamed is an architect specialising in health, wellbeing, and sustainability in the built environment, with experience across professional practice, advisory roles, and academic research. She holds a Master’s in Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings from University College London (UCL). Benazir has worked with Pritzker Laureate Balkrishna V. Doshi’s practice and across Dubai, shaping a human-centred, climate-responsive approach grounded in regional context. She is co-founder of WELL BUILT, a healthy building consultancy, and serves on the advisory board of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). She is also a research associate at UCL, contributing to the project “Accelerating resilience and climate adaptation of domestic environments for vulnerable populations.” Passionate about bridging research and practice, Benazir actively engages in discourse on healthy, resilient, and sustainable cities through conferences, podcasts, and professional panels, translating evidence-based insights into practical strategies for future-ready built environments.

Caroline Paradise is a technical director, and head of research and innovation within the Building Design practice at Atkins. She is a qualified architect with a PhD in Architecture and 18 years' experience in applied research within the built environment industry. She currently leads a multidisciplinary Research & Innovation team focusing on themes including human experience, technology advancement and the creative process. Her role supports a research-driven design approach to provide innovative solutions across a range of sectors, including education, residential and transportation. Since the beginning of her career, Caroline has been passionate about the importance of design to support the health and wellbeing of all building users. Caroline led the development of Atkins’ HCD toolkit, an innovative design service supported by a suite of digital tools which puts user experience and wellbeing at the heart of design decision-making.

Mark is a researcher and practitioner with 20 years’ experience. He works across the fields of public health, urbanism, and architecture. His work addresses wider determinants of health, focused on promoting holistic wellbeing, and reducing health inequalities. Mark has recently completed his doctoral research, Healthy Streetlife, undertaken during the Covid-19 pandemic observing the impact of the street environment on health. This research has been based at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments, UWE Bristol. As the founder and director of Urban Habitats Mark’s practice work encompasses population health across a spectrum of topics and methods. This includes working at a whole country scale with the WHO Collaborating Centre on Investment for Health and Wellbeing at Public Health Wales. He works at all urban scales including community co-design and addressing community agency as a determinant of health. With a background in practice and industry Mark has been involved in the delivery of over £2 billion of capital investment in social infrastructure. Mark has experience with a broad range of stakeholders across the urban health ecosystem from many different systems and sectors. Happiest whilst on a bicycle Mark is an optimistic gardener and lives in Cardiff, Wales with his family.

Giselle Sebag (MPH, LEED AP) is executive director of the International Society for Urban Health. She is a globally recognised urban health leader with 15 years of experience advising governments, multilaterals, NGOs and private-sector companies to develop sustainable, inclusive and resilient cities that promote and enhance resident health. Prior to joining the International Society for Urban Health, Giselle was a public sector consultant at Bloomberg Associates, where she advised cities developing evidence-based urban health solutions with the aim of improving the lives of the greatest number of citizens. Previously, Giselle was vice-president of programs at the Center for Active Design (CfAD), where she oversaw the development, planning and implementation of innovative programs such as Fitwel, a leading certification system committed to building health for all, developed in partnership with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to implement environmental design and operational changes that support healthier workplaces, homes and communities. Prior to that, Giselle was head of the built environment portfolio at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), where she selected, managed key relationships, and advised Fortune 500 companies, governments, multilaterals, philanthropic foundations and NGOs in strategic planning, partnership building, and evaluation of their healthy cities ‘Commitments to Action.’ Giselle holds a Master's of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, joint M.Sc. degrees in international cooperation and urban development from the Technische Universität Darmstadt, and international cooperation in sustainable emergency architecture from the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, and bachelor's degrees in architecture and government from the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Architecture (UTSOA) and College of Liberal Arts.

A chartered town planner and developer, Harry specialises in pre-planning / strategic sustainability, wellbeing, and energy work. His interests lie in social sustainability, wellbeing and loneliness. He has won awards for research exploring the linkages between pro-environmental behaviour and happiness. He believes there is an opportunity to employ robust social science methods to better understand the true impact of development. He is also a WELL AP.

Magali Thomson is an architect working at Great Ormond Street Hospital, one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals. Here, she is setting out vision for a climate-resilient, healthy and child-friendly street, a healthy hospital street. She is particularly interested in preventive approaches to health and the impact our environment has on children’s health outcomes. She recently completed an Executive MSc in Cities at the London School of Economics, graduating with a Distinction. Her thesis focused on how children and their carers are impacted by air quality in Lewisham. She is also a built environment expert at the Design Council, a healthcare expert at the NLA and has positions on Design Review panels in Design South East, Southwark and Brighton. She previously led a successful education team to deliver award-winning schools at Marks Barfield Architects, where she was a director.

Helen Pineo is an urban planner, Research Associate Professor in the Department of Urban Design and Planning at the University of Washington and Honorary Associate Professor at University College London. Her research focuses on how development, regeneration and urban policy can support health and sustainability. She contributes to the evidence base about why and how to do healthy urbanism by using transdisciplinary approaches and amplifying the needs of under-represented communities and the planet.

Over a career in research and policy, José Siri has developed and applied systems approaches to urban and planetary health, focusing on leveraging science for healthy development, devising simple systems tools to catalyse better decision-making, and improving understanding of complex challenges. His experience, which spans five continents, includes time at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, the United Nations University International Institute for Global Health, and the Wellcome Trust, and extensive engagement with researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. He has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, along with policy briefs and commentaries in publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal to the Global Sustainable Development Report. He currently consults for the World Bank and the World Health Organization and holds advisory roles with the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, Future Earth, CDP, and a variety of urban and planetary health research projects. His work has touched on urban studies, climate and health, sustainable development, systems thinking, transdisciplinarity, epidemiology, ecology, infectious disease, public health, and malaria control.

Rosalie is policy and project manager at the TCPA, focusing on the Campaign for Healthy Homes and healthy places, including research with UCL on the health impacts of permitted development housing. She is a visiting research associate with the University of Bristol on 'Tackling the Root causes Upstream of Unhealthy Urban Development' (TRUUD). Rosalie has a background in sustainability and health standards, masterplanning and green infrastructure. She is a full member of CIEEM, affiliate RTPI member, a 'Building with Nature' assessor and 'BREEAM Communities' assessor.

Rhiannon’s research focuses on psychological, social and environmental mechanisms and determinants of mental distress and wellbeing. In particular, she is interested in social cognition and on how our living environment affects our ability to feel good and function well. As an applied social scientist, Rhiannon’s mission is to put research findings into practice. She does this by combining her work at the university with herwork as a co-director of Prosocial Place , a social enterprise that specialises in putting wellbeing and mental health at the heart of place-making and regeneration. In this capacity Rhiannon has worked on several national programmes such as the NHS Healthy New Towns Initiative and with DLUHC, DCMS and Design Council. Rhiannon’s work in social cognition involves both 'clinical' and non-clinical groups of people where she has a particular interest in the psychosis spectrum, common mental distress and the autistic spectrum. Rhiannon uses diverse methods within quantitative and qualitative approaches including real world and realistic evaluation, quasi-experimental and neuroscientific techniques.

Lord Nigel Crisp is an independent crossbench member of the House of Lords where he co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health. He also co-chairs Nursing Now, the global campaign on nursing. He was previously Chief Executive of the English NHS and Permanent Secretary of the UK Department of Health – the largest health organisation in the world with 1.3 million employees – where he led major reforms between 2000 and 2006. Lord Crisp is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, an Honorary Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Medicine. He was formerly a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health and Regent’s Lecturer at Berkeley. His publications on global health include Turning the world upside down – the search for global health in the 21st Century; Global Health Partnerships; One World Health – an overview of global health after Global Health Partnerships; and, edited with Francis Omaswa, African Health Leaders – making change and claiming the future. He described his time as Chief Executive of the NHS in 24 Hours to Save the NHS – the Chief Executive’s account of reform 2000 – 2006. A Cambridge philosophy graduate, he worked in community development and industry before joining the NHS in 1986. He has worked in mental health as well as acute services and from 1993 to 1997 was Chief Executive of the Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust, one of the UK’s leading academic medical centres.

Prof Ashton was appointed director of public health for Liverpool City Council in April 2020 in a joint appointment with the University of Liverpool, where he is an honorary professor in the Department of Public Health and Policy. He leads a team of 30 people in the local authority, covering a range of public health activities, including the commissioning of public health services, health protection, health improvement, healthcare public health, embedding health in all policies approaches, and addressing the wider determinants of health. Matt led on the response to the Covid-19 pandemic for Liverpool, and his efforts have been recognised nationally through the award of the Faculty of Public Health’s presidential medal in 2021, and also the Chief Medical Officers' National Impact Award in 2022. Matt is passionate about bringing together the best people and partnerships in the region to improve health and wellbeing and reduce inequalities in local communities.

Lord Andrew Mawson is a leading British social entrepreneur. He became Chairman of Well North Enterprises in 2019 following the success of the Well North programme, which Andrew led from 2015 – 2019. This was a Public Health England initiative which brought together the public and private sectors, and local communities to improve the health of people living in some of the most deprived parts of the North of England. Well North has now evolved into 360 Degree Society, a social business driving a national mission to put people at the heart of places and create health and wealth outcomes for communities across the UK. So far, the 360 Degree Society team has grown 15 Innovation Platforms across the country. Andrew is perhaps best known for founding the Bromley-by-Bow Centre in East London, the first working example of a fully integrated primary health care facility in the country. The centre today has over 287 staff, 97 businesses it has built with local people, and is responsible for 55,000 patients across Poplar. The centre is visited by over 2000 people a year from across the country and internationally. The 360 Degree Society has grown out of this 40-year track record and is now taking the principles originally developed at the Bromley by Bow Centre and working with partners to apply them in challenging communities across the country. Andrew, also founded Community Action Network (CAN) in 1997, a national programme for social entrepreneurs, Poplar Harca (one of the country's first housing companies) and Leaside Regeneration Ltd, which brought in over £100 million investment into the Lower Lea Valley. Andrew has now “graduated” from most of these ventures and each of them continues as a successful organisation. Through 360 Degree Society and Andrew Mawson Partnerships, Andrew works alongside a leading national thinkers, entrepreneurs and doers to grow and replicate his approach and successes including the national Science Summer School with Professor Brian Cox. In 2012, Andrew was made a Freeman of the City of London. He is also the author of the book, “The Social Entrepreneur: Making Communities Work.” Andrew’s work is also featured in Lord Crisp’s latest book (former CEO of the NHS) ‘Health is made at home; hospitals are for repair’. ​​Andrew and his partners wrote the first paper proposing that the Olympic Games be brought to East London in 2012. He was involved in the Olympic project for 19 years from day one. He was a Director of the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) and then the London Legacy Development Corporation. Andrew Chaired the Regeneration and Community Partnerships Committee for 10 years on both boards, stepping down in 2018. Since the Games this development corporation has planned, developed, and managed the Olympic Park in East London and is creating a lasting legacy from the 2012 Games. The new £1.1billion East Bank campus development has brought to the Park the Victoria and Albert Museum, University College London, the BBC and Sadlers Wells, the London College of Fashion to name a few. This £1.2 bn project was Andrew and Paul Brickell’s original idea in 2006, which was an attempt to build an Innovation District in the heart of the east end of London based on the Bromley principles, bringing together business and social entrepreneurs. The project was backed by the then Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, when he was Chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation. ​​Under the AMP banner, Andrew co-founded One Church 100 Uses CIC and launched the Water City Group to create and implement a vision for East London revitalised by the opportunities of the 21st Century and the 2012 Olympic Games. Andrew was made a life Peer in 2007 in recognition of the social impact of his work, and he now sits as an independent Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords. ​

Sunand Prasad is a principal at Perkins&Will. While designing across several sectors, he has been consistently engaged in healthcare and sustainability for four decades. At the core of his architectural practice, alongside interdisciplinary collaboration, Sunand holds a passionate belief that expertise and aesthetic judgement are most effective in creating truly successful environments when they are catalysed by the everyday experience of people. Sunand has been active in the wider built environment industry, particularly championing low-carbon, regenerative design, and until recently, as chair of the UK Green Building Council. He was President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) from 2007 to 2009, campaigning for action on climate change. He was founding member of the UK Government’s Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment; a London Mayor’s design advocate; a trustee of the Centre for Cities; and Chair of the trustees of Article 25, the humanitarian architecture charity. He currently chairs the Editorial Board of the Journal of Architecture and the External Advisory Board of TRUUD, a major research project on the fundamental links between health and urban development. He has written widely on architecture, sustainability and healthcare design, such as the book 'Changing Hospital Architecture'.

Beatrice is an industrial designer and ergonomist with particular expertise in designing systems and products aligned to end user requirements. Her early career was in design, ergonomic research and teaching at UMIST and Liverpool University. Her public-sector life has always involved regeneration and economic development schemes at a local and regional level – first as chair of the Rope Walks Partnership in Liverpool, then as chair of Renew NW. Beatrice was a non-executive director of Liverpool Health Authority, then chair of South Liverpool Primary Care Trust. Beatrice is a CQC special advisor specialising in governance and leadership. She is a trustee of the Design Council and an Hon.FRIBA. Her past roles have included chair of a housing association, trustee of Tate Liverpool, and chair of the Architects Registration Board.

Chris is HLM Group chair and Strategic director of HLM's custodial, justice and defence sectors. He is hands-on in many of HLM's flagship projects and a champion of social architecture.

Antonia is partnerships manager for Urban Health 360.

Esme is Strategy Director at BVN. She specialises in the intersection of human behaviour and the built environment. With a career spanning design, research, communications, and business intelligence, she translates data into actionable insights that shape the future of spaces and places. Esme has worked across diverse sectors, exploring how strategic briefing influences outcomes at every scale - from individual wellbeing to system-wide efficiency. Her expertise lies in bridging gaps between disciplines, ensuring environments are not just functional but deeply responsive to human needs. She is passionate about understanding how people interact with space and how this, in turn, impacts experience. A recognised commentator on the built environment, Esme has contributed to global conversations and publications on design and strategy, the future of work, sustainability and regeneration and digital transformation. Committed to breaking down industry silos, Esme integrates research, data, and strategy with design, to create holistic and future-focused environments. Her work ensures that the built environment evolves in a way that enhances both human experience and organisational outcomes.

Matthew Morgan is the Director and co-Founder of the Quality of Life Foundation. He is responsible for setting strategy with the Board of Trustees, overseeing the Foundation’s commercial services and delivering lasting impact with the Quality of Life team, itself focused on highlighting the impact of the built environment on people’s lived experience. With over 20 years’ experience in writing and communications, Matthew has previously worked with architects, engineers and developers; in book and magazine publishing; and with charities and start-ups. He is a participant on a number of advisory boards and chairs a multi-stakeholder group that advises on community engagement as part of the UKRI-funded CCQOL (Community Consultation for Quality of Life) project. A published author and mental health advocate, Matthew is particularly interested in how communities are formed and their effects on people’s physical, social and psychological wellbeing, an interest he developed while growing up in an intentional community in Kent.

Paul completed his architectural education at the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow in 1992 and has led several high profile urban design, health and infrastructure projects. In 2006 he established Ryder’s Glasgow office and led the early development of the Hong Kong office. Prior to joining Ryder, he worked with Terry Farrell for 11 years in London and Hong Kong. Paul has spoken around the world on sustainable healthcare design and blurring the boundaries of healthcare to address health equity. Paul brings his expertise of leading integrated project teams to successfully deliver major healthcare projects. His passion for delivering design of the highest quality is recognised by excellent client testimonials and project award nominations.

Dr. Deb is a professionally trained architect, urban designer, and planner leading the delivery of exemplar large-scale and complex housing regeneration and garden communities in both the public and private sectors (UK and India) for over 25 years. A passionate advocate of sustainable urbanism, delivery of quality places, and value creation through collaboration/design-led innovation, he champions inclusion and diversity as the fundamental building blocks of delivering resilient built environments. He works as Director at AtkinsRéalis. In a voluntary capacity, he serves as a board director at The Academy of Urbanism, a panel member for Sheffield, Essex, and Greater Cambridgeshire Design Panels. He coaches and mentors built-environment professionals and pursues practice-led research on delivering ‘quality’ and ‘at pace’ in partnership with the built environment sector on ‘sustainable development goals, smart technologies, and climate change’. A Chartered Town Planner, Chartered Manager, Recognised Practitioner in Urban Design, and a Fellow at the RSA, he has a Doctorate in Philosophy on ‘Changing Paradigms of Evolving City Centres’ and an Executive MBA from the University of Sheffield.

Sasha has spent his career working in the NHS, initially in dentistry and maxillofacial surgery. He has spent 20 years at executive level in hospital systems and has a particular interest in the development of integrated systems. He now works for the NHS Horizons team supporting a wide range of change programmes. His current focus is on increasing the role of physical activity in health, working on a commission to support Sport England’s ‘Uniting the Movement’ strategy.

Rosie is a respected voice in built environment transformation, with 20+ years’ experience spanning housing, development, and finance. Building on senior roles at global advisory firms and regeneration specialists, she established Rising Tide as a pan-European strategic advisory practice for pioneers in the built environment navigating change, supporting founders and management teams to reshape strategy, clarify their positioning, unlock investment and scale impact. Rising Tide’s partners are leading networks, funders and businesses, including C40 Cities, Common Projects, Built by Nature, the Circular Buildings Coalition, Dark Matter Labs, European CLT Network, and Wood Knowledge Wales.

Michael Wood is the Head of Health Economic Partnerships at the NHS Confederation. Prior to this he developed and held the role of NHS local growth adviser from 2015, for some of this time working as deputy local growth consultant for the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Before that, he was senior European policy manager at the NHS European Office for more than seven years. He has also worked for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and for a Member of the European Parliament in Brussels. As Head of Health Economic Partnerships, Michael advises NHS leaders nationally and locally on policy, strategy, partnerships and funding relating to the local economy, including in areas such as skills and workforce, estates, innovation, population health and finance. Michael currently holds national advisory positions on the Civic University Network and the National Civic Impact Accelerator, as well as the Midlands Engine Health Board. He also advises NHS London on the development of its NHS Anchor Network.

Carlo Castelli is an architect, masterplanner and city solutions expert with more than 25 years’ experience delivering innovative urban solutions and the founder of Urban Purpose. Carlo is passionate about the purpose of cities. He leads and advises on major international and interdisciplinary urban projects at various scales, with particular expertise in integrated spatial and socio-economic strategies, underpinned by transport and infrastructure oriented development. He is a strategic advisor on purposeful visions for cities, capacity development and international co-operation between cities and local governments. He advocates a ‘purpose case’ approach to city-making, which aims to put quality of life and wellbeing at the core of the holistic integration of economic, social, environmental and cultural values. Carlo has recently acted as the chief technical advisor of the UNDP capacity-building and strategic urban advisory programme with the Riyadh Regional Municipality in Saudi Arabia. He has voluntary roles such as the co-chair of the ULI Europe Urban Regeneration Council and the LSE Global Real Estate Group’s Executive Committee. Carlo publishes on social media and speaks regularly in international conferences, as well as providing strategic advice and leadership for some of the world’s most interesting urban contexts and projects, including the New London Agenda with the NLA; a regeneration project in Newham, London; the Edinburgh City Centre Transformation Plan (with Jacobs); the Strategic Process towards the Development Agreement for the Scali Ferroviari in Milan with Sistemi Urbani, (with AECOM); Al Mouj Muscat, Oman (with AECOM); the Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop (with Jacobs); Meridian Water regeneration project in London (with Jacobs); and the KKIA Concept Masterplan in Riyadh (with AECOM).

Marina brings over a decade of experience in urban planning, with a strong background in strategic planning and a deep understanding of legislative urban contexts. She has worked in senior positions shaping strategic planning frameworks on a range of emerging topics for the delivery of some of the largest urban regeneration projects, including the London Olympics. Her work is driven by a commitment to social justice and gender equality, and she specialises in translating international agendas such as the SDGs and bringing into forward-looking planning policies and practical urban frameworks shaping healthier and more equitable urban environments. Marina is internationally recognised for her work on gender equality and has led the development of the UK’s first planning frameworks explicitly focused on creating places that meet the needs of women and girls, advancing gender equality. She is one of the leading voices in the UK advocating for the needs of women and girls to be embedded within the urban development process. Central to her approach is integrating lived experience throughout planning, from policy development to development management, using existing mechanisms to deliver systemic change and lasting improvements to safety, access and wellbeing. Marina has also worked in crisis and post-conflict urban recovery contexts through her work with the United Nations in Ukraine. She is the co-founder of Beyond the Red Line and advises international and national organisations on inclusive placemaking.

Sarah Deedat, PhD, is currently vice-president of behavioral design at Lirio, where she leads a multidisciplinary team of behavioural scientists to apply behavioural science to real-world health challenges. She has extensive experience designing behaviour change interventions across areas such as chronic disease management, wellness, and primary prevention. Her work spans both patient- and clinician-focused strategies and has been implemented in a variety of settings – from in-person care to digital platforms – across the UK, North America, and Asia. Sarah holds a PhD in Medical Geography and is particularly interested in how place and context shape health behaviours, a perspective that informs her approach to designing more effective, person-centred interventions.

Ibrahim is a designer, retail strategist, futurist and author. He has a degree in Aeronautical Engineering and a Masters Degree in Industrial Design from The Royal College of Art and Imperial College, London. As the Managing Director of Portland Design which is part of the Perkins&Will global architecture and design group, Ibrahim leads a team of highly strategic and creative thinkers and designers. Over a career spanning 30 years Ibrahim has worked on a broad range of projects covering retail, F&B, consumer brands, shopping centres, airports, train stations, mixed use developments and urban regeneration. He works with a wide range of clients worldwide, his work covers trend analysis and insights, strategy definition, place branding and experience masterplanning. Ibrahim’s understanding of consumers’ relationship with brands and their engagement with physical and digital environments lies at the heart of his work. This understanding is built through deep insights into the future of consumerism, retail and brands and their impact our town centres and high streets He is a regular speaker at conferences and a frequent contributor to journals and trade press. He has written for The Economist ‘Insights’. He is also a published author with his book, ‘Future Ready Retail’ which explores the future of retail and it’s impact on brands, the consumer experience, our high streets and town centres. When he is not overseeing the ‘ideas fuelled’ studio at Portland, Ibrahim is normally found in his workshop making sculpture and furniture, fiddling with classic cars or managing his woodland whilst riding his tractor!

Coen van den Wijngaart is manager of real estate development at Anculus and a member of its management committee. He specialises in overseeing the development, redevelopment, and renovation of public-sector real estate projects, primarily serving educational institutions through delegated client management. Anculus provides strategic portfolio management with a focus on sustainable and resilient infrastructure. Coen holds a degree in architectural engineering from Delft University of Technology and an executive MBA from Vlerick Business School, Brussels. With over 25 years of experience as an architect, entrepreneur, and strategic real estate developer, his expertise lies at the intersection of innovative architectural design, health and wellbeing in the built environment, and sustainable development. His research and professional interests include the translation of architectural and strategic concepts into healthy, inclusive, and future-proof environments for living, learning, working, and care. His career is marked by a commitment to advancing knowledge and practice in healthy and sustainable public real estate development.

Jim Chapman is a chartered architect and urban designer, with more than 36 years' experience as a consultant delivering a wide range of projects in many sectors. In 2006, he established an independent consultancy, which focuses on supporting and advising clients on the delivery of high-quality projects.

Graham is an urban designer and landscape architect of longstanding. His work spans research and practice from strategy to detailed context of specific regeneration programmes. He has a particular interest in the meaningful involvement of community members in regeneration and the development of lifetime conversations that reconnect people to their places. He is the Chair/Mentor of the Backin' Birkenhead Town Team that is delivering a community-led Place Plan for Central Birkenhead.

Max is the new Chair of the Healthy City Design Congress, guiding its next chapter at a pivotal moment for health, place, and public policy. In this role, Max will bring valuable knowledge, expertise and an extensive network of developers, investors, planners, designers, public health professionals, policymakers, and community leaders to strengthen the Congress as the leading interdisciplinary platform for evidence-led debate, collaboration, and action in the creation of healthier cities. Max’s interests and expertise closely align with the ambitions of the Congress. With a background in urban planning and strategic communications, he has long championed people centred placemaking, social value, and the integration of health into the planning, design, and delivery of the built environment, with a particular focus on improving quality of life and reducing inequalities through better places. Alongside his role as Chair, Max is Founder and CEO of the LDN Collective, a network of built environment specialists working to improve people’s lives and the planet’s prospects. The Collective brings together expertise in placemaking and urban design, social value and co design, branding, communications, and engagement. Current projects include major regeneration initiatives, new communities, and innovative approaches to public realm, retrofit, and reuse across the UK and beyond. Max is Immediate Past President of the LAI Land Economics Society, London chapter, Chair of Built Environment Policy for West London Business, Lead Judge for the Healthy City Design Awards, and a Fellow of the RSA. He was Project Lead and Author of the Farrell Review of Architecture and the Built Environment, commissioned by the UK Government, which made 60 recommendations, many of which have since been implemented. He advises a number of organisations working at the intersection of health, place, and policy, including Demos, Urban Design London, the Place Alliance, the Urban Room Network, and the Quality of Life Foundation.

Jeremy Myerson has been academic, author and activist in design for more than 40 years. He co-founded the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design in 1999, and was its director until 2015. Last year, he received emeritus professor status at the RCA, and he continues to direct his own venture, the WORKTECH Academy, which provides a forum for academics and practitioners to share new ideas on the future of work and workplace. He is the author of more than 20 books on a wide range of subjects in art, design and architecture, and he has curated many national design exhibitions. He has been at the helm of the Healthy City Design Programme Committee since the Congress’ inception in 2017.

Professor Hua Dong is Director of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, the global leader of inclusive design at the Royal College of Art (RCA). Previously Hua worked as a full professor at Brunel, Loughborough, and Tongji Universities. She was Dean of the College of Arts and Media at Tongji University (2013-18) and Inaugural Dean of Brunel Design School (2020-24). Hua’s PhD research at the University of Cambridge has laid the foundation of her research expertise in inclusive design, on which she published more than 10 books. Her book ‘Inclusive Design: Chinese Archive’ was featured in the ‘Design for All? Diversity as the Norm’ exhibition (2024) at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich. Hua has extensive experience in providing specialised research consultancy to industries to help designers adopt a more inclusive approach, and support companies to implement inclusive practices. She founded Inclusive Design Research Centre in China and helped Ant Financial to develop the country’s first industrial guidance on inclusive design. She led Brunel design researchers to collaborate with PearsonLloyd and Kirton Healthcare to deliver ‘Design Bugs Out’ solutions to UK and European hospitals. Hua received the award of ‘Engineering Heroes’ – the Top 50 Women in Engineering 2021 from Women’s Engineering Society. Hua believes in the power of education and never stops exploring innovative methods of teaching inclusive design. She introduced ‘Fixperts’ projects as an effective approach to engage students with real users in London and Shanghai, winning multiple awards and exhibiting at the Milan Triennale. Hua has supervised15 PhD/EngD students to successful completion. Hua became Fellow of the Design Research Society in 2019, and was elected Vice President of the DRS in 2024. She is the convenor of inclusive design special interest group in DRS. As the AHRC Fellow for UK-China Creative Industries research and innovation collaboration, she enabled many cross-cultural exchanges. Hua has been chosen as Chair of the QAA’s latest Subject Benchmark Statement on Art and Design. She is a panel member of the REF2029. Currently, Hua is Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation at RCA.