Especially in urban societies and landscapes where many people live in close proximity, health plays a crucial role — both in today’s cities and in the urban agglomerations of the future. Urbanization also means that in the next 30 years, another 2 billion people will move to or be born into cities. Against the backdrop of diverse global challenges, the question arises: how can we create healthy, livable, just, and sustainable cities — both for and with these people?
The goal is an urban development that is not only infrastructurally and ecologically sound, but above all, resilient and livable from a health perspective. Through a combination of interdisciplinary research, innovative technologies, and participatory methods, various aspects of urban health are being examined:
Health from the perspective of individuals, meaning the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being — which includes aspects of healthcare infrastructure and prevention;
Health from the perspective of the urban ecosystem and landscape, which involves the urban metabolism as well as the safeguarding of urban habitats for all living organisms (urban biodiversity).
Research at TU Braunschweig aims, on the one hand, to minimize health risks such as noise, the effects of extreme climatic events, air pollution, wastewater, light pollution, and infectious diseases. On the other hand, it seeks to maximize health-promoting factors such as contact with nature, social interaction, physical activity, recreation, and relaxation.
The overarching aim is to develop a deep understanding of the interplay between local climate, air quality, and urban design, while also taking into account well-being, quality of life, resilience, and adaptability. To this end, experts from architecture, urban and regional planning work together with specialists in geoecology, environmental monitoring, and building physics.
