Making cities healthier

With over half of humanity living in cities today, three critical trends collide: 1) urbanization reduces experience of nature; 2) sedentary, nature-deprived urban lifestyles increase already massive health burdens and risks; and 3) highly uneven access to nature exacerbates multiple inequalities. Yet, the connections between urban nature and health remain woefully understudied. Revealing where and how nature provides greatest benefits to people can inform and motivate investments in urban design with nature. This unique interdisciplinary team will integrate a wealth of new data, science and analytics – through both physical and mental health pathways – as well as deep relationships with urban leaders and networks. By developing actionable science and demonstrating the findings for three iconic cities – San Francisco, Guangzhou and Singapore, this project is designed to inform urban planning and policy, enhance urban nature and its vital benefits, and improve health, equity, livability, and the sustainability of cities.