Urban health
What is urban health?
Urban health refers to the physical, mental and social wellbeing of people living in cities and urban areas. Factors such as housing, public spaces, parks, transport systems and urban planning policies directly influence the health of residents. Urban health is therefore both a field of study and a target for intervention: it seeks to understand how the characteristics of cities affect their inhabitants and how these spaces can be transformed to promote equity and wellbeing.
Urban environment can intensify inequalities
The urban environment is made up of multiple interrelated dimensions: the physical environment includes infrastructure such as roads, public transport, green spaces and housing, while the social environment encompasses community networks, social cohesion, access to services and safety.
The interaction between the physical and social environment in cities determines exposure to risks such as air and water pollution, noise, traffic accidents and the lack of opportunities for physical activity. According to estimates from the World Health Organization, more than 90% of the world’s urban population breathes polluted air, and nearly 40% lacks safe access to sanitation services and drinking water, increasing vulnerability to both communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Although urban life can offer economic advantages and better access to services, it can also intensify inequalities. Urban health reflects marked differences between neighbourhoods and even between streets: the most vulnerable groups and migrant populations often live in outlying areas that lack infrastructure and have poor transport links. These areas suffer from poorer environmental conditions and limited access to healthcare, education and employment, which can lead to higher levels of stress and social marginalisation. These inequalities require strategic interventions that consider not only the provision of health services, but also the design of safe, inclusive and healthy urban spaces, so that existing gaps can be reduced.
Urban health and climate change
Cities are major consumers of energy and are responsible for more than 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and in turn, cities are also particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to their urban design: for instance, heatwaves are intensified by the “urban heat island” effect and cities are especially vulnerable to flooding and extreme events. Urban health is therefore closely linked to environmental sustainability: the planning of green spaces, the energy efficiency of buildings, active transport and emission reduction are not only environmental measures, but also public health strategies that protect the most vulnerable populations.
Urban health as a policy and multisectoral strategy
Promoting urban health requires coordinated action across multiple sectors: urban planning, transport, housing, social services and public health, together with the participation of the community and local leaders. Participatory planning can generate regulations and policies that protect health for all residents, especially those living in more vulnerable conditions, thereby strengthening both equity and urban resilience in the face of challenges such as the climate and energy crises.
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COLLAPSE
- Integrating Climate, Urban, and Social Policies Is Key to Avoid Increasing Inequalities in Barcelona(ISGlobal, 2026)
- New Index Ranks 917 European Cities on Urban Design for Health and Well-Being(ISGlobal, 2025)
- Improving the Distribution of Green Spaces in Barcelona Could Prevent 178 Premature Deaths Each Year(ISGlobal, 2025)
- Reducing Traffic in Barcelona by 25% Would Prevent Around 200 Premature Deaths a Year Linked to Pollution(ISGlobal, 2025)
- Compact cities have lower carbon emissions, but poorer air quality, less green space and higher mortality rates(ISGlobal, 2024)
- Implementing Green Corridors Throughout Barcelona Could Reduce Annual Antidepressant Use and Visits to Mental Health Specialists by 13%(ISGlobal, 2023)
- 7 Take-Home Messages on Urban Health(ISGlobal, 2023)
- Urban Health in Cities of Low- and Middle- Income Countries(ISGlobal, 2021)
- The 2030 Agenda as an Innovative Framework for Urban Health(ISGlobal, 2020)
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