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Through the Healthy Cities Programme, we delivered an Urban Health Quick Scan for 5 selected cities. The Quick Scan is a practical way to generate early evidence on the links between health and the built environment and to assess an urban area or a planโs potential for generating benefits and economic savings.
How can the Quick Scan be applied?
The Quick Scan is a flexible approach that can be used to assess the current situation of an area, or the impact of a proposed plan:
- Baseline Assessment: Identify priority urban actions that respond to local health needs.
- Plan Assessment: Assess the health impact of ongoing plans or developments.
The 5 Pilot Cities
In this edition of the Healthy Cities Programme, five cities were selected, showcasing diverse approaches to urban health in a series of different contexts:
Madrid, Spain
The Quick Scan focused on a baseline assessment of the Villaverde district, providing a deeper understanding of the areaโs strengths and weaknesses related to health, and identifying key urban goals to be incorporated in Madridโs Municipal Strategy for 2050.
Liverpool, UK
Liverpool North currently faces many health challenges related to poor quality urban environments, with a lack of connectivity and underused green spaces. A baseline assessment of the area helped identify specific urban aspects that should be prioritised in upcoming regeneration efforts, in order to address these health needs.ย
Lancaster, UK
The Quick Scan was applied to six policies within Lancasterโs Local Plan. Results provided a detailed understanding of how these specific policies impact health, highlighting a widespread impact across environmental, physical and mental health outcomes.
Wollongong, Australia
The Flinders Street Urban Design Framework lays out the guidelines for the future transformation of an industrial precinct, increasing connectivity, mixed-use and the overall urban quality of the area. The Quick Scan results highlighted improvements in physical activity levels, a reduction of cardiovascular disease and improved mental health outcomes as a result.ย Apartadรณ, Colombia
Apartadรณโs masterplan โDe Cara al Rรญoโ will recover and regenerate existing blue and green infrastructure to increase wellbeing in the city. A Quick Scan of the master plan shows concrete health benefits across many indicators, leading to gains of 2 months in Life Expectancy.
