Active lifestyles support health and wellbeing, and in particular help prevent obesity. Our daily living environment can help encourage physical activity, and . This lecture explored how our daily living environment can encourage active living and healthy, socially inclusive communities and outlined some of the key challenges.

Keynote speaker was Professor James Sallis from San Diego University, US, a leading academic in the field. Professor Sallis shared evidence of how the physical environment affects health and wellbeing, and outlined actions that can be effective in supporting active and healthy living.

Steven Patterson, director of Sustrans Northern Ireland, focused on active travel and presented evidence of current cycling trends in Belfast as well as local experience of creating opportunities for active lifestyles.

Michael Hegarty, director of PLACE, the architecture and built environment centre for Northern Ireland, explored the history of creating healthy cities through architecture, and outlined examples of how good urban design in Northern Ireland can support health and wellbeing.

The event was arranged in collaboration with the UKCRC Centre of Excellence in Public Health (Northern Ireland), PLACE and Queen’s University of Belfast.