In 2024, our initiative continued consolidating its collaborations with cities, civil society organizations and citizens to drive changes by providing evidence on the links between urban environments and health. Key events and achievements include:

A high-level talk

Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, Director of the Initiative, was selected as the keynote speaker for The Lancet´s 2024 International Health Lecture, where he addressed the intersection between climate crisis, cities and health.

Making the case for green spaces in Barcelona

In partnership with Barcelona’s city council, we co-developed resources to highlight the physical and mental health benefits of urban green spaces. This included:

  1. an evidence review and the development of green space and health indicators in collaboration with Barcelona’s Public Health Agency (ASPB);
  2. a Health Impact Assessment using novel models to quantify the health co-benefits of Barcelona´s Green Axis Plan, particularly on its potential to reduce heat-related deaths; resulting in an analysis report and a scientific publication (1).
Improving school environments:

Children are especially vulnerable to environmental exposures. We developed two valuable resources for schools:

  • Air quality monitoring protocol: As part of the Clean Cities project, we created a step-by-step protocol for measuring NO2 around schools using low-cost sensors. This tool empowers students, schools, and the wider community to collect data and advocate for cleaner air. The protocol is already being used in campaigns across Spain.
  • MOOC Streets for Kids: Our third massive open online course (MOOC), developed in collaboration with the EU EIT on Urban Mobility, explores how street design impacts child development and health. The course offers evidence-based guidelines for practitioners to create safer, more sustainable, and child-friendly urban environments.

Discover our other initiatives